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Freestanding three-bay three-storey tower house, commenced c.1500, abutting earthen terrace to rear. Attached cell blocks and exercise yards to rear (north-west) and platform to side (north-east). Historically used as magazine (1600-1601), as prison for foreign prisoners (1601-1790) and as borough jail (1791-1846). Restored in 1938 currently in use as museum. Pitched slate roof with rubble stone chimneystack behind crenellated dressed rubble stone parapet. Concealed gutters having square-headed drainage slots with drip stones to front (south-east) elevation and limestone drip course to side (north-east, south-west) elevations. Dressed rubble stone walls, battered to ground floor, chamfered square-headed recesses to side (south-west) elevation. Tooled limestone string course to top of ground floor. Tooled limestone armorial plaques to ground and first floors of front elevation. Square-headed mullioned windows to front and side (south-west) elevations including south-eastern corner lights. Ogee, round, trefoil and square-headed double lights having tooled stone surrounds, spandrels, chamfered and dressed sills, tooled mullions and label mouldings. Replacement timber framed windows with lead-lined glass. Square-headed window openings to side (north-east) elevation and ground floor of front elevation. Dressed limestone block-and-start surrounds and voussoirs with keystone to front elevation openings having limestone sills. Replacement six-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows and recent wrought-iron guard rails. Tooled limestone surrounds to second floor openings, relieving red brick arch to north-western opening with replacement six-over-six pane timber sliding sash window, leaded glass to south-eastern opening. Square-headed former arrow slit to second floor of eastern corner with stone surround and fixed single-pane window. Raised pointed arch door opening to front elevation, tooled limestone surround with stepped reveals, step and hood moulding. Decorative carving to impost stones, timber battened door with wrought-iron strap hinges and studs. Square-headed door opening to side (south-west) elevation. Replacement tooled limestone block-and-start surround with chamfered reveals having timber battened door with wrought-iron strap hinges and studs. Accessed via flagged stone stairway attached to south-west elevation. Flagged terraced stone platform to side (north-east) having stepped approach and rubble plinth enclosing wall. Rubble stone enclosing walls to rear courtyard, exercise yard and cell blocks. Camber-headed door opening to south-west of enclosing wall, having dressed stone block-and-start surround, voussoirs, keystone and timber battened door with recent wrought-iron strap hinges and studs, giving access to rear courtyard. Approached via flagged stone stairway attached to south-west elevation.
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