T. E. Lawrence’s Undergraduate Dissertation – Page 208

the type works itself out at Niort(72 7/8) in Poitou, where the two angle buttresses are combined and carried to the top of the tower as a circular tourelle. These keeps at Niort are exceedingly valuable. They were built early, apparently about 1180, and in spite of their shape are true Norman keeps. The tourelles are such only in name : in reality they are all solid, except one which from the first-floor level contains the staircase. The little buttresses on the face are also solid, to the top floor, and the entrance is 24 feet above the ground. It has a portcullis however. There are parallels to be found of the shape of Niort, but none of the peculiar arrangement whereby two identical donjons stand side by side, apparently without any very elaborate connecting works (74) The small building that now fills the gap is comparatively modern : that it is not a copy of the original is proved by the fact that it stultifies the great machicouli's thrown over between the buttresses above. At the same time there must have been some link between the two towers : to leave each in isolation would be ridiculous. The base of the donjon at Provins 74 is probably of the twelfth century. In shape it is rectangular, but the corners have been chamfered off to make room for half-round buttresses of the same projection as the side walls. The upper part of the donjon has been so rebuilt as to be worthless : the doorways though are probably of the original design, and it is