What were the parts of a medieval castle?

Features of a Medieval Castle Curtain Walls & Towers - the perimeter defensive wall. Fortified Gatehouse - the main castle entrance. Keep (aka Donjon or Great Tower) - the largest tower and best stronghold of the castle. Bailey or Inner Ward (courtyard) - the area within a curtain wall.



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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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These early castles were mainly of motte and bailey type. The 'motte' was made up of a large mound of earth with a wooden tower on top, while the 'bailey' was a large ditch and bank enclosure which surrounded the motte. These timber castles were quite cheap and very quick to build.

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A battlement is the upper walled part of a castle or fortress.

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external features - such as towers battlements, thick walls, a moat, a drawbridge, etc. internal features - such as a well, large stores to guard against siege, a hall for everyone to socialise.

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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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In this wall were gaps or spaces called crenels, which were usually square or rectangular and placed at regular intervals. They're the distinct two- to three-foot-wide gaps you see at the very top of castle walls. Sometimes crenels are also called embrasures.

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Bailey (Ward) The courtyard of a castle containing the principal buildings, including sometimes a tower keep, which may be surrounded by its own fortified wall. Medieval Ballista.

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Features of Castles 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. Food was often stored in the keep.

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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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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 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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Inner Ward - The open area in the center of a castle. Keep - See donjon.

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An arrowslit (often also referred to as an arrow loop, loophole or loop hole, and sometimes a balistraria) is a narrow vertical aperture in a fortification through which an archer can launch arrows or a crossbowman can launch bolts.

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A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence.

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An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room, often brick-lined and vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since medieval times. In modern usage, an undercroft is generally a ground (street-level) area which is relatively open to the sides, but covered by the building above.

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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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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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