Why did castles have secret tunnels?

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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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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The Keep of Goodrich Castle, built in the 1100s, only had tiny windows – which meant that little light could enter the castle. This meant that most structures could only support tiny windows – which resulted in dark rooms that were constantly cold, as the thick stone could never be fully warmed by the sun.

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If attackers managed to break through this outer ring of defense, castle defenders could retreat behind high inner walls. Corner towers stood out from the walls, giving defenders a better perspective on enemy movements. Windows were rare; instead, slits called loopholes were built for archers.

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There can be several telltale signs of a hidden compartment. A clean area on an otherwise dirty floor, dust that has been disturbed, pry marks around an opening or scratches on the floor or furniture can indicate the area has been accessed.

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