Gents Mag 1848 part 1 p.372

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	Gentleman's Magazine 1848 part 1 p.372 walls decorated with Dutch leather, brilliantly gilt and painted, contains a magnificent, ponderous, old bedstead of carved oak, covered thick and thicker with all the heraldries of all the Talbots. It came originally from Sheffield Castle, through various possessors, until purchased by Mr. Watt of Aston Hall, Birmingham, and presented by him to his lordship. How many a tale of romance does this frowning old bed seem cognizant of, perhaps occupied by Mary Queen of Scots during her long confinement under the Earl of Shrewsbury; her eyes fixed upon the heraldic pomp of her lordly keeper, but her heart far away, either in her own land of blue mountains, or in gay and regretted France. Its modern occupant, if endowed with thought, may doze and dream away a thousand and one tales of terror and love in connection with this fine old relic of domestic economy, and yet perhaps, after all, not the least interesting part of its history may be its having been presented by James Watt to Henry Brougham. From the "armourie" chamber, a flight of corbel stone steps, projecting from the wall, leads to a strange sort of gallery, which appears to be immediately over the machicolations of the great tower, and from which missiles of offence had in ancient times been projected. Since the armoury has been converted into a sleeping room, the openings of the machicolations have been closed, and the passage now assumes quite a Udolphoish dreamy character, and worthy of Mrs. Radcliffe. This room, though divested of its ancient appurtenances, still boasts a fine,old, timbered roof with the tooth ornament of Edward III's. time, and the bed of oak is hung with faded embroidered curtains of no modern date; the window, fire-place, all speaking of distant years. This grim old apartment was described to me as being before its change a strange old-world scene, such as rarely now can be met with; armour hanging, decayed and rusty, piecemeal upon its walls; in some places dropped upon its floor, and struggling with accumulated dust and cobwebs for the slightest chance of being visible, intermingled with ragged pennoncels dropping from their hooks, bundles of pikes and other weapons; in fact a scene to which George Cattermole's pencil alone would have done justice. The muniment room I have a vague suspicion is most quaint and redolent of iron-clasped, worm-eaten coffers, with clumsy, cankered locks, and all the other decaying interests usual in such matters - musty parchments - charters - huge seals - brazen-clasped books - inventories, &c. Of these things rumours are afloat, but few know the truth, and I, alas! know not even the situation thereof. I suspect, like the similar room in the Castle of Glammis of Shakespearian and Macbeth notoriety, no person but the lord, his heir, and the senechal of the castle, are allowed to know its security. Throughout the various dressing and sleeping rooms there is an endless variety of ancient decoration, tapestry, leather, panelling, faded brocade, and embroidered silks, oaken carved grotesque bedsteads, garderobes, chairs of all shapes and conveniences, chimneys with raised hearths and with andirons; and yet all made choicely convenient by the addition of modern utilities our ancestors knew not of, but so admitted as to harmonize as much as possible with the more ancient arrangements. In making some alterations in one of the towers, some Norman work in the shape of an arched recess was found, and this room is now being repaired to give it a character somewhat in accordnace with the date of the ancient work there discovered. A large stone arch divides the room, or rather forms a sort of recess for the bed, which is to be made from old drawings and illuminations, and a piece of tapestry of high antiquity will be drawn across the inside of the arch instead of having curtains to the bed. The chimney-piece is of Norman zigzag work with inlaid tiled hearth; the walls of wattled work in stone, part tinted azure, with an intermixture of gold; and above the arch in the spandrels are two of the Norman kings on thrones, painted from original drawings, and the whole surmounted by a heavy carved and painted roof. This is and will be one of the most singular rooms in the kingdom when completed.
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