In the courtyard at the castle is this small watchtower, into which one can go and get a sense of what the guards had to endure while on duty. County Galway, Ireland.
A never-finished student of military history, I'm always fascinated by places like this. I imagine the wall on the far right continuing over to the watchtower and then from there to the left side of the frame (I can see where the wall was broken down). I also imagine what you're suggesting; what life might have been like for a hapless sentry.
If you've ever wanted to make a difference but found it hard to believe that one person could... check out the Kiva Team Caedes discussion thread and discover that anything is possible.