Pallas Castle, Pallas

The site is arranged around a central tower house enclosed within a surrounding defensive enclosure, or bawn, entered through a substantial gatehouse. The tower rises five storeys and displays internal planning typical of late medieval domestic fortifications, with a vaulted chamber at the third level indicating solid stone construction for that floor. The structure retains many original interior features that illustrate its domestic use over centuries.

Within the thick end wall there is a sequence of mural chambers, small rooms built into the wall thickness, and a winding stair that provided vertical circulation. Several well-preserved fireplaces survive on different storeys, showing how individual floors were heated. The fourth floor retains windows with stone mullions set within arched openings, a distinctive glazing arrangement of the period. The tower’s roof was still covered in thatch in the early 20th century, the lower edge being protected with stone flags.

The bawn is notable for its state of preservation and its defensive elements. The perimeter wall is described as having four corner towers and is approached through a two-storey gatehouse. The enclosure is also recorded as having two towers with turrets at each corner and includes internal steps and parapets, features associated with its defensive and circulation functions. The gatehouse and wall remain prominent parts of the ensemble.

Outbuildings and later additions cluster near the tower. Close to the west end stands a rectangular flanker linked to the tower’s defences. An 18th-century malt house lies on the site, and the ruined fabric of a large 17th-century gabled house is present nearby. Several buildings in the southwest corner are attributed to the 19th century. Taken together, the tower, its bawn, gatehouse and the associated later structures survive in unusually good condition for this class of monument.