Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire. Image Source: http://www.lussierphoto.com/2012/08/29/kennilworth-castle-collab/
moats
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/3/8/24389396/3598157.jpg?1382661832)
Also known as douves or wet ditches, moats are deep trenches dug around a castle’s perimeter. Moats are arguably the first line of defense for a castle. By providing a gap that offenders could not easily pass without a bridge, castles had a first line of defense against invaders and siege machinery.[1]
Moats are typically 12-20 m wide and 10 m deep. During the Hundred Years War, due to increased militarization, moats became deeper.[2] They can be full of water (a wet moat) or empty (a dry moat).[3] To allow for transportation across into the castle, a bridge would be built to extend partway across the width. This would be met by a drawbridge that would be controlled from within the castle. The two edges of a moat are known as the scarp (inner edge) and the counter-scarp (outer edge). The counter-scarp may include masonry to prevent erosion and enemy manipulation of the defense mechanism.[4]
Wet and dry moats have different distinguishing features. Dry moats would have a drainage area (a cunette) and could even be tiled.[5] Wet moats were typically filled by rainwater or river runoff.[6] In spite of how beneficial moats were to the castle’s defenses, there were several issues with moats. Drawbridges were inconvenient during peace-time as the castle would continuously need to drop and raise the drawbridge. In response to this, many castles would erect temporary bridges. Furthermore, the stagnant water in wet moats introduced many health risks to the residents of the castle and would erode the foundations of the building.[7]
As castles came into decline, moats within city boundaries were either filled in or became part of intricate canal systems, as seen in Amsterdam today.[8]
[1] Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe: An Illustrated History (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company Inc), 113, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[2] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 136, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[3] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 113, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[4] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 113, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.[5] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 113, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[6] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 258, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[7] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 113, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[8] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 303, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
Moats are typically 12-20 m wide and 10 m deep. During the Hundred Years War, due to increased militarization, moats became deeper.[2] They can be full of water (a wet moat) or empty (a dry moat).[3] To allow for transportation across into the castle, a bridge would be built to extend partway across the width. This would be met by a drawbridge that would be controlled from within the castle. The two edges of a moat are known as the scarp (inner edge) and the counter-scarp (outer edge). The counter-scarp may include masonry to prevent erosion and enemy manipulation of the defense mechanism.[4]
Wet and dry moats have different distinguishing features. Dry moats would have a drainage area (a cunette) and could even be tiled.[5] Wet moats were typically filled by rainwater or river runoff.[6] In spite of how beneficial moats were to the castle’s defenses, there were several issues with moats. Drawbridges were inconvenient during peace-time as the castle would continuously need to drop and raise the drawbridge. In response to this, many castles would erect temporary bridges. Furthermore, the stagnant water in wet moats introduced many health risks to the residents of the castle and would erode the foundations of the building.[7]
As castles came into decline, moats within city boundaries were either filled in or became part of intricate canal systems, as seen in Amsterdam today.[8]
[1] Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe: An Illustrated History (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company Inc), 113, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[2] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 136, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[3] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 113, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[4] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 113, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.[5] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 113, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[6] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 258, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[7] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 113, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[8] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 303, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
Walls
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/3/8/24389396/3463678.jpg)
Castle walls typically have a core of rubble and stones and a neatly-cut stone encasement.[1] There are several different types of wall arrangements, though the two main types are concentric walls and curtain walls.
Concentric castles have one or more external walls surrounding the internal buildings. The external wall was known as a lice or list; this created an extra line of defense from attackers. Communication between these walls took place through a series of posterns, strengthened gates that were hidden from sight. Through these doors, men could carry messages to their peers.[2]
Another type of wall a castle could have is known as a curtain wall. Curtain walls surrounded a castle and were the first line of defense from offenders.[3] They were thick, ranging from seven to twenty metres wide, so that enemies could not ram through.[4] These walls were also tall to prevent people from climbing over easily. The walls were especially thick at the base, where a pile of stones, known as a “sloping apron” or “plint,” prevented people from tunnelling into the castle. This type of wall included a wall-walk, a ledge along the top of the wall on which guards could patrol the perimeter of the castle.[5] This could be covered to prevent projectiles from hitting the guards. Often this walkway would have slits in its floor to allow guards to look below. The top of the curtain wall was ridged with merlons and crenels; this forms the battlement (see image).[6] Merlons housed arrow slits through which guards could shoot. Crenels often had wooden shutters that could be opened and closed in times of attack.[7]
[1] Lise E. Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles. Westport (CT: Praeger Publishers, 2006), 66, http://books.google.ca/books?id=fBbNJLEWiLIC&lpg=PP1&dq=britain's%20medieval%20castles&pg=PR4#v=onepage&q=britain's%20medieval%20castles&f=false.
[2] Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe: An Illustrated History (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company Inc.), 109, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[3] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 108.
[4] Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles, 66.
[5] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 108.
[6] Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles, 67.
[7] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 109.
Concentric castles have one or more external walls surrounding the internal buildings. The external wall was known as a lice or list; this created an extra line of defense from attackers. Communication between these walls took place through a series of posterns, strengthened gates that were hidden from sight. Through these doors, men could carry messages to their peers.[2]
Another type of wall a castle could have is known as a curtain wall. Curtain walls surrounded a castle and were the first line of defense from offenders.[3] They were thick, ranging from seven to twenty metres wide, so that enemies could not ram through.[4] These walls were also tall to prevent people from climbing over easily. The walls were especially thick at the base, where a pile of stones, known as a “sloping apron” or “plint,” prevented people from tunnelling into the castle. This type of wall included a wall-walk, a ledge along the top of the wall on which guards could patrol the perimeter of the castle.[5] This could be covered to prevent projectiles from hitting the guards. Often this walkway would have slits in its floor to allow guards to look below. The top of the curtain wall was ridged with merlons and crenels; this forms the battlement (see image).[6] Merlons housed arrow slits through which guards could shoot. Crenels often had wooden shutters that could be opened and closed in times of attack.[7]
[1] Lise E. Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles. Westport (CT: Praeger Publishers, 2006), 66, http://books.google.ca/books?id=fBbNJLEWiLIC&lpg=PP1&dq=britain's%20medieval%20castles&pg=PR4#v=onepage&q=britain's%20medieval%20castles&f=false.
[2] Jean-Denis G.G. Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe: An Illustrated History (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company Inc.), 109, http://do.rulitru.ru/docs/16/15655/conv_1/file1.pdf.
[3] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 108.
[4] Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles, 66.
[5] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 108.
[6] Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles, 67.
[7] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 109.
TUrrets and towers
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/3/8/24389396/9910297.jpg)
Turrets are small towers atop larger towers, found at the corner of a building or wall.[1] They are usually cylindrical in shape and positioned at the corner of walls.[2] This position gives guards a better view than he would get from a wall.[3] This provides an additional defense mechanism for the castle’s outer wall, as they often contained arrow slits through which enemies could be seen and fired at.[4] The defensive properties of the turrets were not limited to the tops of these towers, however: the stairs in the turrets themselves rotated clockwise going upwards, giving the defending faction an advantage as they descended the tower. As most swordsmen were right handed, defending guards could attack more easily than offenders could.[5]
[1] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe,108.
[2] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe,152, 108.
[3] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe,108; Craig Freudenrich, “How Castles Work,” How Stuff Works, accessed 24 October 2013, http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/castle3.htm.
[4] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe,260.
[5] Freudenrich, “How Castles Work,” http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/castle3.htm.
[1] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe,108.
[2] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe,152, 108.
[3] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe,108; Craig Freudenrich, “How Castles Work,” How Stuff Works, accessed 24 October 2013, http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/castle3.htm.
[4] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe,260.
[5] Freudenrich, “How Castles Work,” http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/castle3.htm.
dungeons
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/3/8/24389396/4549081.jpg)
The term dungeon comes from the French term donjon, derived from the Latin for “lordship.” This refers to the keep, the internal strong house of the castle where the lord would reside. Contrary to popular belief, not all castles held prisons. If a castle did, it would be located in the gatehouse away from the centre stronghold of the castle to prevent the enemy from attacking the inner areas of the castle. As more castles got gatehouses, donjons would be used as prison towers, or castles would
have cylindrical prison towers built in their center.[1]
Many castles had “oubliettes,” coming from the French “to forget”. Oubliettes were basement containments for prisoners. They were pit prisons with no windows, and prisoners would have to be dropped in on a rope through a hole in the ceiling. The earliest oubliettes are found in France and eleventh-twelfth century Turkey. Scotland typically had “bottle dungeons,” which were like Oubliettes but designed so that prisoners could never lie down. In spite of these harsh conditions, prisoners rarely died in these facilities.[2]
After the technology of the castle declined in popularity, many castles were converted into prisons. This was especially popular in Britain.[3]
[1] Lise E. Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles (Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2006), 30, http://books.google.ca/books?id=fBbNJLEWiLIC&lpg=PP1&dq=britain's%20medieval%20castles&pg=PR4#v=onepage&q=britain's%20medieval%20castles&f=false.
[2] Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles, 31.
[3] Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles, 31.
For more information, check out this podcast on medieval torture devices.
have cylindrical prison towers built in their center.[1]
Many castles had “oubliettes,” coming from the French “to forget”. Oubliettes were basement containments for prisoners. They were pit prisons with no windows, and prisoners would have to be dropped in on a rope through a hole in the ceiling. The earliest oubliettes are found in France and eleventh-twelfth century Turkey. Scotland typically had “bottle dungeons,” which were like Oubliettes but designed so that prisoners could never lie down. In spite of these harsh conditions, prisoners rarely died in these facilities.[2]
After the technology of the castle declined in popularity, many castles were converted into prisons. This was especially popular in Britain.[3]
[1] Lise E. Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles (Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2006), 30, http://books.google.ca/books?id=fBbNJLEWiLIC&lpg=PP1&dq=britain's%20medieval%20castles&pg=PR4#v=onepage&q=britain's%20medieval%20castles&f=false.
[2] Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles, 31.
[3] Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles, 31.
For more information, check out this podcast on medieval torture devices.
The Drawbridge and Gate
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/3/8/24389396/2115725.jpg)
Approaching a castle could be an intimidating experience.
If the castle had a moat, a wooden drawbridge would span the moat and when in place, it would allow access to and from the castle. After crossing the drawbridge, visitors would find themselves at the castle gates.
Castle gates were often flanked by tall towers with arrow slits and covered by both a heavy wooden door and a portcullis, which is a wood or metal grate that was used as a first defense for the gate.
Once past this point, visitors or invaders would find themselves in a long tunnel, going through the thick castle walls. Within the wall you would also find a gatehouse that defended the gate and housed the mechanism for moving the drawbridge up and down.
Walking through the long entrance tunnel could be a treacherous experience for invaders. Some castles had murder holes, which allowed castle defenders to bombard invaders from above with all manner of unsavory objects. If individuals could make it this far, they would enter the castle in the bailey, a large open space for commerce, tournaments, and socializing.[1]
[1] Freudenrich, “How Castles Work,” http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/castle3.htm.
If the castle had a moat, a wooden drawbridge would span the moat and when in place, it would allow access to and from the castle. After crossing the drawbridge, visitors would find themselves at the castle gates.
Castle gates were often flanked by tall towers with arrow slits and covered by both a heavy wooden door and a portcullis, which is a wood or metal grate that was used as a first defense for the gate.
Once past this point, visitors or invaders would find themselves in a long tunnel, going through the thick castle walls. Within the wall you would also find a gatehouse that defended the gate and housed the mechanism for moving the drawbridge up and down.
Walking through the long entrance tunnel could be a treacherous experience for invaders. Some castles had murder holes, which allowed castle defenders to bombard invaders from above with all manner of unsavory objects. If individuals could make it this far, they would enter the castle in the bailey, a large open space for commerce, tournaments, and socializing.[1]
[1] Freudenrich, “How Castles Work,” http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/castle3.htm.
Inside the castle
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/3/8/24389396/690588.jpg)
The inhabitants of a castle once lived in the donjon, or the keep, a stone tower in the centre of the property. This residence was dark, cold, and wet.[1] After the Crusades, standards of living increased immensely. Families no longer lived in cold towers but instead resided in brightly lit, open houses.[2] Ladies and lords had private cameras where they dressed, ate, and studied. The more privilege and power an inhabitant had, the more lavish their room would be. Elaborate feather beds and murals were quite common.[3]
While bedrooms were extravagant, the great hall was the most distinguished of all the castle’s chambers. As this is where the owner of a castle would receive his guests, the decor was expected to be as rich as possible to present the castle as one of great stature.[4] Works of art would line the walls, and floors were covered with rugs and skins.[5] Here, a great throne would wait for when a king and queen, or lord and lady, would welcome their guests. They would be on a raised platform and appear dominant to those below them.[6]
In addition to a great welcoming hallway, the castle would have a large kitchen. As the castle was responsible for feeding most of the surrounding area, it was common for these kitchens to house several fireplaces, ovens, and even a bakery. They would be busy, bustling areas, separated from the rest of the inhabitants to prevent unpleasant smells from wafting.[7]
In spite of the busy kitchens, castles did not have running water. When inhabitants wanted to bathe, servants would fetch water from a nearby well and warm it. They would carry it through the castle to the room where the bather waited. Furthermore, there were no functioning toilets in castles: latrines were present, but they were emptied by servants.[8] In spite of all the luxury of castles, there were clearly downfalls to living in these buildings.
[1] Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles, 30.
[2] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe,126.
[3] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 132.
[4] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 123.
[5] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 127.
[6] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 123.
[7] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 132.
[8] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 132.
While bedrooms were extravagant, the great hall was the most distinguished of all the castle’s chambers. As this is where the owner of a castle would receive his guests, the decor was expected to be as rich as possible to present the castle as one of great stature.[4] Works of art would line the walls, and floors were covered with rugs and skins.[5] Here, a great throne would wait for when a king and queen, or lord and lady, would welcome their guests. They would be on a raised platform and appear dominant to those below them.[6]
In addition to a great welcoming hallway, the castle would have a large kitchen. As the castle was responsible for feeding most of the surrounding area, it was common for these kitchens to house several fireplaces, ovens, and even a bakery. They would be busy, bustling areas, separated from the rest of the inhabitants to prevent unpleasant smells from wafting.[7]
In spite of the busy kitchens, castles did not have running water. When inhabitants wanted to bathe, servants would fetch water from a nearby well and warm it. They would carry it through the castle to the room where the bather waited. Furthermore, there were no functioning toilets in castles: latrines were present, but they were emptied by servants.[8] In spite of all the luxury of castles, there were clearly downfalls to living in these buildings.
[1] Hull, Britain's Medieval Castles, 30.
[2] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe,126.
[3] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 132.
[4] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 123.
[5] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 127.
[6] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 123.
[7] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 132.
[8] Lepage, Castles and Fortified Cities of Medieval Europe, 132.
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