The length of this enclosure from north to south is 51 ft., and the average width from 15 ft. to 20 ft., the whole of the sides being formed by cliff and boulders, except on the north side, where a space between two large boulders has been built up by the ancients. This wall is 9 ft. long and 11 ft. high.
The wall extending from the north-east corner of the Balcony, and on the north side, except for one short length, is not ancient. Local Makalanga state their people of some two or three generations back re-erected the wall on the old foundation. This is obviously the fact. But an entrance from the North Plateau was once at this point, and led down steps on the outside, going west between two large boulders zigzag downwards to the Rock Holes Path.
BALCONY CAVE
At the west end of this enclosure is a steep descent of 36 ft. between two boulders into Balcony Cave formed by a cliff, the east face of which beetles over the descent. The cave is 19 ft. wide at the bottom and is very much filled in with wall débris, silted soil, and large scales of granite off the face of the overhanging rock. This cave formed an entrance into the Balcony Enclosure from the Rock Holes Path, which runs along the north-west face of the cliff, only on a very much lower level. A wall 18 ft. high starts from the bottom of the cave and is built across it on the north side, running west to east. This wall is partly rounded on the upper portion. At 7 ft. from the ground the lower part of this wall has collapsed and blocked up the exit. Another wall 8 ft. long and 6 ft. high and in two rising tiers crosses from side to side at a higher level. Two almost perfectly shaped monoliths, very much weather-worn, were found among the débris in this cave.
GOLD FURNACE ENCLOSURE
This enclosure is 12 ft. lower than the Eastern Temple, the outer face of the eastern main wall for 15 ft. forming its west side. On all other sides it is surrounded by cliff and boulders, a continuation of the north cliff of the Eastern Temple forming its north side. The area is 46 ft. from west to east, and 32 ft. from north to south. At the south-west corner is a chasm 14 ft. long, 2 ft. to 5 ft. wide, and 11 ft. high running between the front base of the temple wall and the west end of the huge boulder, 44 ft. long, which forms the southern side of the enclosure. The chasm leads out of the enclosure to the south side of the outer wall of the temple. It was once much larger, but owing to silting in of soil and débris, and the falling of decomposed slabs of granite from its roof, it has become narrowed and shallowed. Along the buttress which forms the lower part of the east front of the temple wall was a path from the east entrance of the temple to the top of the chasm, which was further arched with granite slabs making a wider bridge, and this led to the floor of this enclosure by means of steps which ran down the north face of the boulder on the south-west side of the enclosure.
It was in this enclosure that Bent believed he had discovered ancient gold furnaces. At the south-east corner is an open space 9 ft. wide, which once had a rounded buttress on either side. Beyond this point the ground falls rapidly to the south towards the edge of the precipice. Under the cliff are holes hardly deep enough to be termed caves, and these have been reduced in size by the silting in of soil.
UPPER GOLD FURNACE ENCLOSURE
This is situated at the north-east corner of the Gold Furnace Enclosure, but on a level of 4 ft. higher. Separating the two enclosures is a well-built wall 10 ft. long with a rounded entrance in the centre.
The greatest width of this enclosure is 9 ft. at the entrance, and its length is 44 ft., but it is very narrow except for about 12 ft. in the middle of the length. The south end runs between and under boulders, while the north end includes a cave under the continuation of the cliff which forms the north sides of the Eastern Temple and the Gold Furnace Enclosure. This cave has also been reduced in size by the filling in of débris and soil.