Castle buildings Gormenghast (castle)

1 castle buildings

1.1 north wing
1.2 east wing
1.3 south wing
1.4 west wing
1.5 other areas

castle buildings

the castle described vast , rambling, many different regions, in general divided 4 wings - north, south, east , west. carp-filled moat surrounds @ least of castle; directly under wall of castle in places (for example, steerpike able jump window of barquentine, master of ritual, directly moat below) , perhaps enclosing of grounds in others (but has inferred not made clear). impossible give exact layout of castle, various mentions in text can stated in general terms of each wing of castle contains.

north wing

residence of seigneur of sark

the top floor of north wing contains hall of bright carvings, curator rottcodd spends days sleeping. has single window facing north, out of rottcodd observes entire population of castle returning gormenghast lake after earling of titus 77th earl of groan. keda, titus wet nurse, has quarters in north wing.

when steerpike becomes renegade life of castle, cornered in apparently abandoned, northern section of castle (whether or not part of north wing unclear). roofs, buttresses , outcrops of vast area appear have own names, , countess gertrude lists of them: namely, blackstone quarter, stone dogshead, angel s buttress, coupée (described high knife edge ); north headstones beyond gory , silver mines ; , twin fingers, little sark begins , bluff narrows . interestingly, coupée, silvermines, gory , little sark placenames channel island of sark, mervyn peake living @ time when wrote gormenghast.

east wing

the east wing contains library of sepulchrave, tower of flints, , various buildings, including observatory, aviary, museum , pavilions entertainment. apart library however, other buildings have long since been abandoned , fallen decay.

south wing

the south wing contains rooms of twin sisters of sepulchrave, ladies cora , clarice groan. quarters include room of roots , massive dead tree protrudes horizontally wall of castle , large enough them walk out on , have tea. later on, steerpike moves quarters there closer twins. after death of nannie slagg, titus sister fuchsia moves quarters there, overlooking south spinneys. south wing appears contain rooms of lord groan overlook carver s courtyard. although stated lord groan s western balcony overlooks courtyard, have in extreme south of castle close southern outer wall in order overlook it. south wing houses series of deserted landings , stairways painted in faded colors of red , green, discovered titus , claimed him own special domain. these landings home peculiarly small dove-grey mice, found else. south wing seems contain castle stables, titus takes weekly ride along south outer wall.

west wing

the west wing contains rooms of titus sister fuchsia , nurse nannie slagg. contains servants quarters, presumably includes servants quadrangle , thorn tree. west wing includes christening room, looks out on lawns , cedar trees beneath west outer wall. may include rooms of master of ritual barquentine, rooms looks out gormenghast mountain west. western region of gormenghast castle described having flat summit, becomes favorite place promenade along during time when castle flooded.

other areas

various other areas , rooms mentioned part of castle, without being clear in castle s layout. these include great dining hall, kitchens, central library houses books of gormenghast ritual (not confused sepulchrave s library in east wing), armory, , schoolrooms , professors quarters. many of these seem in central areas of castle, rather being 1 building, appears complex of interlocking buildings many courtyards , quadrangles between them. example, house of dr prunesquallor , sister described 3 storey building made of red sandstone attached main building of castle flying buttress. house has own front , gardens , looks out onto quadrangle. beneath castle lies vast region of endless maze-like corridors of stone , brick called silent halls, hollow halls, lifeless halls or stone lanes. servant flay has idea of extent.