Ford Castle Portcullis Gate, Armoury Tower And Forecourt Walls To Ford Castle

Ford Castle's portcullis gate, armoury tower, and forecourt walls were built in 1791 by Nisbet of Kelso for Sir John Hussey Deleval. The structure incorporates early masonry, possibly from the 16th or 17th century, and is constructed of ashlar with Welsh slate roofs, facing south.

The portcullis gate features a very tall pointed arch adorned with alternating bands of vermiculate rustication. The impost blocks and large keystone are finished with glacial rustication, and an imitation portcullis is set within the arch. This arch is framed by a castellated screen wall with similarly rusticated quoins, two arched niches with quatrefoils above, a modillion cornice, and pierced quatrefoils in the parapet.

The castellated walls on either side of the gate rise approximately 15 feet. To the right, there is a square interval tower with quatrefoils in the parapet.

The armoury tower is located in the south-west corner and features a boarded door on the ground floor with a cambered lintel, along with blocked Gothick windows above. Inside the forecourt, there are small gate lodges on either side of the gateway, each with one tall storey and a single room. These lodges have 4-centred-arched doors with incised ogee arches on the lintels and apsidal north walls.

Inside the armoury tower, there is a 19th-century hooded fireplace with embossed tiles featuring medieval patterns.