Castle Features
- Outer defenses.
- Moat.
- Walls (inner and outer)
- Towers (inner and outer)
- Gatehouses, drawbridges and barbicans.
- Inner defenses.
- Baileys or wards.
- Living quarters and support buildings.
Castles are usually built on high ground with clear views of the surrounding lands – and both of these things make them difficult to attack. Prudhoe was built on a hill top ridge with an 18m drop on the north side and a deep ravine on the south side.
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The typical features of a medieval castle were: Moat - a perimeter ditch with or without water. Barbican - a fortification to protect a gate. Curtain Walls & Towers - the perimeter defensive wall.
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What other rooms were there in a Medieval castle? At the time of Chr tien de Troyes, the rooms where the lord of a castle, his family and his knights lived and ate and slept were in the Keep (called the Donjon), the rectangular tower inside the walls of a castle. This was meant to be the strongest and safest place.
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: a large fortified building or set of buildings. b. : a massive or imposing house. 2. : a retreat safe against intrusion or invasion.
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The drawbridge is one of the most important parts of a castle and one you've probably heard of before! A drawbridge was a type of bridge between the gatehouse and the opposite side of the moat. During raids, the drawbridge would be raised to keep invaders out.
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Safety, not style or comfort, was the most desired quality. The castle had to be able to withstand an attack or a siege.
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The three main types of castles are the motte and bailey castle, the stone keep castle, and the concentric castle.
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Over the centuries around 23 different siege attempts were made on Edinburgh Castle – making it the most besieged place in Europe.
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Castle owners always had private 'apartments', or at least a bedroom with an en-suite loo and a chamber where they welcomed visitors. There was often a private chapel too. These were usually in the safest part of the castle, and only trusted servants or honoured guests were allowed in.
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A bailey is the sturdy wall around a castle that keeps invaders out. The bailey of a medieval castle was usually built of stone. You might see a bailey — or the remains of one — if you tour a castle in England or France.
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Four primary castle designs mark the period; Motte and Bailey, Shell keep, Stone keep, and Concentric; however, sub-types, such as Square Stone keep and Round Stone keep emerged over the years.
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As a result, true castles went into decline and were replaced by artillery forts with no role in civil administration, and country houses that were indefensible.
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