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The
donjon at Château de Houdan was built about 1125, as the
keep for the larger castle which can be vaguely
appreciated from the poor drawing below. Presumably
little or nothing of the rest of the castle remains.
While the Great Hall and storeroom below at basically
square, the donjon itself is round, with a round
projecting turret at all four poles. The west turret
houses the spiral staircase, while the remaining three
are chambers off the Hall. The original entrance was 20
feet above the ground, in the north turret, with a mural
stairways leading up to the Hall and down to the basement.
The original entrance cannot be seen today (see right).
The walls are 16 feet higher than the gutter to mask and
protect the roof. At last report the donjon was serving
as the municipal water tower for Houdan, and it may be
that embarrassment which keeps mention of the castle off
the World Wide Web.
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