What do castles have around them?

Outer Defenses The moat -- a large ditch or trench surrounding the outer castle wall -- was a castle's first line of defense. The moat could be filled with water or dry (a dry moat could have been lined with wooden spikes). It usually had a drawbridge across it that was drawn up when the castle was under attack.



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moat, a depression surrounding a castle, city wall, or other fortification, usually but not always filled with water. The existence of a moat was a natural result of early methods of fortification by earthworks, for the ditch produced by the removal of earth to form a rampart made a valuable part of the defense system.

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The moat around a castle was a deep ditch filled with water. A drawbridge could be lowered to allow people to cross over the moat into the castle, and the drawbridge would be raised to keep others out. In the center of the castle, the keep was a special tower designed to be the safest place within the castle walls.

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In medieval castles, the area surrounded by a curtain wall, with or without towers, is known as the bailey. The outermost walls with their integrated bastions and wall towers together make up the enceinte or main defensive line enclosing the site.

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Top 10 Facts About Castles!
  • Castles were built to defend! ...
  • Castles were often surrounded by moats with a drawbridge. ...
  • Towers and turrets were perfect for guards to keep watch. ...
  • The keep was the safest place to be. ...
  • Castles were bustling and full of people! ...
  • Knights would defend the castle. ...
  • Castles had beautiful gardens.


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Moat - A deep trench dug around a castle to prevent access from the surrounding land. It could be either left dry or filled with water. Motte - An earthwork mound on which a castle was built.

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The top of the castle walls were the battlements, a protective, tooth shaped parapet often with a wall walk behind it for the soldiers to stand on. The defenders could fire missiles through gaps (crenels). The raised sections between, called merlons, helped to shelter the defenders during an enemy attack.

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A castle is fundamentally two things, a residence for a laird, and a place that offers significant protection. If it's only one or the other, that's problematic. A grand building with no defensive features would be a palace, chateau or country house.

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Walls. Walls were generally built of stone within wooden frames designed to hold the stone in place while the mortar dried. For thick walls, the wall was usually constructed with a cavity that was filled with rubble rather than being solid stone.

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In medieval fortification, a bretèche or brattice is a small balcony with machicolations, usually built over a gate and sometimes in the corners of the fortress' wall, with the purpose of enabling defenders to shoot or throw objects at the attackers huddled under the wall.

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The inner bailey or inner ward of a castle is the strongly fortified enclosure at the heart of a medieval castle. It is protected by the outer ward and, sometimes also a Zwinger, moats, a curtain wall and other outworks.

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Walls. One of the most important features in a castle was its walls. Whether made of wood, stone or brick, they provided a barrier to enemy attackers. They typically included wall walks, which were used by the defenders to resist attempts to scale the walls or to shoot missiles at the besiegers.

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