What is the weakest part of a castle?

The entrance to the castle was always its weakest point. Drawbridges could be pulled up, preventing access across moats. Tall gate towers meant that defenders could shoot down in safety at attacks below. The main gate or door to the castle was usually a thick, iron-studded wooden door, that was hard to break through.



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As the gate is always a vulnerable point of a castle, towers may be built near it to strengthen the defences at this point. In crusader castles, there is often a gate tower, with the gate passage leading through the base of the tower itself.

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The weakest part of the castle's defenses was the entrance. To secure access to the castle, drawbridges, ditches and moats provided physical barriers to entry.

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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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In some castles, there is an inner bailey that is an enclosed area closer to the tower or keep, and an outer bailey which is an area further out from the tower but that is still protected by the curtain wall. Windsor Castle is an example of a castle with a motte and a bailey.

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The Tower of London is the most secure castle in the UK. This mediaeval fortress has served as a royal palace, prison, execution ground, and military stronghold.

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When it comes to horrible jobs in a castle, gong farmer has to win the prize. Gong farmers, also known as nightmen, were responsible for cleaning out human excrement from the cesspits within the castle walls.

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Attacks on Edinburgh Castle In fact, it's been besieged more than any other place in Britain, with 23 recorded attempts to 'capture the castle'. Taking the castle wasn't just a tactical coup for Scotland's enemies but a blow to the morale of the Scots.

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Gatehouses, the most vulnerable point of the castle, often became mini-castles in themselves, as at Dunstanburgh Castle, with towers and barbicans guarding their approaches, as at Helmsley Castle. Walls were made taller to stop missiles being flung over them, and to give extra velocity to missiles aimed at attackers.

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Dover Castle, Kent: England's strongest castle
  • Dover Castle has been a Kent landmark for almost a millennium. ...
  • The imposing gate to Dover Castle. ...
  • Henry II (1133-89), the first Plantagenet king of England, ruled from 1154 until his death. ( ...
  • Aerial view of the Dover Castle. ...
  • The White Tower, Tower of London.


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Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the Key to England due to its defensive significance throughout history.

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Castle of Zafra, Campillo de Duenas This partly restored castle in Spain was built in the late 12th century or early 13th century. It holds the distinction of never being conquered.

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Fire - Early castles were made of wood, so they were easy to attack by setting fire to them. Battering ram - A large log that was hit against the castle walls to weaken them. Catapult - Catapults, or trebuchets, threw large stones and burning objects at the castle.

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Castles and manor houses often smelled damp and musty. To counteract this, herbs and rushes were strewn across the floors.

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There are always exceptions to this, but it would appear that a few hundred years is the maximum a castle will survive without maintenance. A very well built castle will last indefinitely. Older castles may last longer than more recent ones.

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Some buildings have secret areas built into their original plans, such as secret passages in medieval castles, designed to allow inhabitants to escape from enemy sieges. Other castles' secret passages led to an underground water source, providing water during prolonged sieges.

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