what features did castles have

What features did castles have?

• Outer defenses.
• Moat.
• Walls (inner and outer)
• Towers (inner and outer)
• Gatehouses, drawbridges and barbicans.
• Inner defenses.
• Baileys or wards.
• Living quarters and support buildings.

Full Answer

What are the defensive features of a castle?

Medieval Castle Defence: Defending a Castle

• The Outer Curtain Wall. The ‘curtain wall’ was the vast stone wall which wrapped around the outside of a castle. ...
• Moats and Water Defences. ...
• Turrets, Towers, and Look Out Points. ...
• Machicolations. ...
• The Gatehouse. ...
• The Drawbridge. ...
• The Barbican. ...
• Some Incredibly Strong Examples of Medieval Castle Defence. ...

What are the main parts of a castle?

The Key Features and Parts of a Castle

• The Keep. The keep was a strong tower located at the centre of a castle. ...
• Curtain Wall. The curtain wall was a defensive wall built to protect the bailey (see below) of a castle. ...
• The Bailey. The bailey was the courtyard area around the keep, protected by the curtain wall.
• Moat. ...
• Battlements. ...
• Drawbridge. ...
• Portcullis. ...
• Arrowslits. ...

What defensive features are on a castle?

What were the defensive features of a medieval castle?

• What were the defensive features of a medieval castle?
• What are the defenses of a castle?
• How did castles affect the Middle Ages?
• How did castles change towards the end of the Middle Ages?
• What are the bumps on a castle wall called?
• How was a portcullis used to defend a castle?
• How did castles change in the Middle Ages?

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What are the features of a medieval castle?

This residence in the area of Kolossi Castle (Cypress) is inspired and informed by the typology of the koulas – i.e. medieval watchtower. Inspired by the compact form and small openings typical of the koulas, the design by Alex Papadopoulos features a ...

What features did a castle have?

Moat - a perimeter ditch with or without water. Barbican - a fortification to protect a gate. Curtain Walls & Towers - the perimeter defensive wall. Fortified Gatehouse - the main castle entrance.

What is the most important feature of a castle?

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.

What makes a good castle?

Castles are usually built on high ground with clear views of the surrounding lands – and both of these things make them difficult to attack. Prudhoe was built on a hill top ridge with an 18m drop on the north side and a deep ravine on the south side.

What were the key features of stone castles?

A stone keep was the central feature, with thick walls and few windows. Entrance to the keep was by stone steps leading to the first floor. The kitchens were situated on the ground floor while living quarters were on the upper floors. The first keeps were rectangular in shape but later ones were often circular.

What defensive features did castles have?

How to defend a castleBuilding up high. Building a castle up high made it difficult for enemies to get to the castle. ... Tall towers. Strong towers were added to curtain walls to watch out for enemies. ... Battlements. Battlements were walls on the roof of a castle. ... Arrow slits. ... Moat. ... Drawbridge. ... Portcullis. ... Dungeons.

What do castles have inside?

Inside the castle walls there might have been a magnificent hall, comfortable chambers and a beautiful chapel. Larger castles had their own fish ponds, orchards and vineyards, as well as gardens which supplied vegetables and herbs.

What are some fun facts about castles?

One of our favourite fun facts about castles: square-shaped castles were easy to attack as the enemy could dig tunnels under the corners to make them collapse. 5. Windsor Castle is England's largest castle. It was originally built out of wood by William the Conqueror between 1070 and 1086.

What are fun facts about castles?

Interesting and Fun Facts about CastlesFor a long time, the majority of castles were made from wood. ... The majority of ancient castles that survived tooth of time are either destroyed, turned into monuments or converted for public uses. ... Castles did not have toilets!

What were castle made of?

Initially, castles were built out of wood, but eventually, people made castles from stone because they were stronger and lasted longer. Castles usually consisted of a group of buildings that were surrounded by a huge wall and a moat designed to keep attackers out.

What did castles look like?

A typical European castle was like a little village inside, with kitchens, workshops, gardens, stables, and a chapel. This castle is built of stone, but many early castles were wooden.

Did castles have roofs?

Today, some medieval castles retain their lead roofing, but much of it was stripped away when people needed to use the lead for other purposes, especially during a battle. The shape of the roof has been, and still is, hotly debated. Many scholars believe that the roofs were flat.

What were the two main functions of castles?

Castles could serve as a centre for local government, administration and justice. They were also used by powerful lords to display their wealth and power through lavish architectural styles and decoration.

What is the outer wall of a castle called?

Some castles had a substantially higher outer wall called a shield wall . The shield wall was often placed on the side of a castle that might be especially vulnerable to siege weapons like catapults, trebuchets and siege towers (more on this later).

What is the first line of defense in a castle?

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.

What were the hoardings in the French castle called?

The French later used stone hoardings called machicoulis. Hoardings had holes in the flooring from which soldiers could shoot arrows or dump various objects (rocks, hot tar, boiling water, hot oil) on attackers. Breteches: Small, overhanging rooms on French castles, similar to hoardings, that jutted out from the wall.

How thick is a castle curtain wall?

The outer curtain wall was high, thick and made of stone or brick. Walls could range from 6 to 10 meters high and 1.5 to 8 meters thick. In many castles, wall thickness varied according to the area's perceived vulnerability.

Did Edinburgh Castle have a moat?

Edinburgh Castle in Scotland was built high on bedrock, so it didn't need a moat. Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/ Getty Images. Remember that castles served primarily as housing for military forces -- they evolved into residences for nobles. So, they were designed for defense.

Do castles have moats?

Many moats were also dump sites for garbage and sewage. The existence of a moat was dictated by the terrain -- not all castles had moats. Some castles were built high up on bedrock and didn't need them.

Why are castles built on motte?

Taking the higher ground is advantageous in battle and in life. That’s why some castles are built on a motte — an earthen mound. In some cases, the motte that is used is naturally occurring — a hill in the landscape. In others, workers heap dirt in a strategic spot to make their own motte wherever it suited them.

Why did medieval royalty live in castles?

They were designed to accommodate a luxurious lifestyle, offering their royal residents the prestige they needed to rule. They were also highly defensible structures that could stand against invading forces whenever necessary. But what are the features and innovations that made a castle so successful and desirable? Let us take you on a tour of the past!

What did castle residents do without working plumbing and running water?

What did castle residents do without working plumbing and running water? They relieved themselves with a garderobe. This facility was used for hygiene, and was located on the outside of a castle. Castle residents would conduct their routine toilette there. The bottom portion of the garderobe was open, and waste would flow down below to the moat.

What are machicolations in castles?

These handy devices jutted out from the upper part of a wall and were the perfect way to drop hot oil, large rocks, or other projectiles down below to unsuspecting enemies.

Why are moats important?

Moats that were wide and deep helped to guard castles from invading forces — particularly those who would seek to tunnel under a castle’s outer walls. Having water present in a protective moat was an ideal flood threat to potential tunnels, forcing invaders to think of other ways to breach the walls.

Why did castles tempted enemies?

Castles often tempted enemies because there were so many nooks and crannies that could possibly be breached. And, once the castle was theirs, enemies could control the territory around it. However, castle designers and engineers covered all their bases when it came to defenses, and bastions were no different.

Why was a chapel important in medieval castles?

With a chapel located on the premises, there was no need for royal residents to leave the safety of their castle walls to attend religious services. A castle chapel was an essential addition to medieval castles, especially since religion was so important to everyday life at the time.

Why were castles important in the Renaissance?

People seeking protection from invading armies built villages around established castles. Local nobility took the safest residences for themselves — inside the castle walls. Castles became homes, and also served as important political centers. As Europe moved into the Renaissance, the role of castles expanded.

What is a castle?

Originally, a castle was a fortress built to protect strategic locations from enemy attack or to serve as a military base for invading armies. Some dictionaries describe a castle simply as "a fortified habitation.". The earliest "modern" castle design dates from Roman Legionary Camps.

Why is the first floor of Castle Ashby shaped like an E?

The first-floor plan was shaped like an "E" to celebrate the rule of Queen Elizabeth I. In 1635, additions squared off the design to create the inner courtyard — a more traditional floor plan for a fortified habitation (view floor plan of Castle Ashby's first floor).

Why were the plantation castles in Northern Ireland fortified?

Still others, like the plantation castles of Northern Ireland, were large homes, fortified to protect immigrants like the Scots from the resentful local Irish inhabitants.

What is an enclosed courtyard?

Courtyard: The enclosed courtyard was part of the design for early luxury apartment buildings like the Dakota in New York City and for office buildings like the Rookery in Chicago. Secondarily for safety, the inner courtyard afforded larger buildings with natural light to more of the inner spaces.

What is a Roman castle?

Castle Details Handed Down. The English word "castle" is from the Latin word castrum, meaning a fort or fortified habitation. The Roman castrum had a particular design — rectangular, enclosed by walls with towers and four gates, the interior space divided into four quadrants by two main streets.

What is a castle called in France?

A castle built as a home for nobility is a palace. In France, a castle built for nobility may be called a chateau (the plural is chateaux ). "Schlösser" is the plural of Schlöss, which is the German equivalent of a castle or manor house.

How did the Concentric Castle work?

Common techniques included burrowing beneath the corners of towers – undermining their foundations, and encouraging the castle to collapse. To overcome this, castle designers added thicker outer walls – and then rings of extra outer walls. The idea of the concentric castle was then born in about 1270.

Why were Motte and Bailey castles important?

The key benefit of Motte & Bailey castles was that they were very quick to build, but pretty difficult to attack. These castles were one of the primary reasons why the Normans succeeded in conquering so much of Europe. Uncover all the secrets of Motte & Bailey castles. . .

What were the first castles?

The first castles were simply ‘mounds’ of earth , and medieval castle designs improved on these basics – adding ditches in the Motte & Bailey design. As technology advanced – and as attackers got more sophisticated – elaborate concentric castle designs emerged, creating a fortress almost impregnable to its enemies.

What was the first castle in the Middle Ages?

Motte & Bailey (Wiston Castle, Wales) (Credit: Jayne) The first castles, built in the Early Middle Ages (early Medieval period), were ‘earthworks’ – mounds of earth primarily built for defence, as enemies struggled to climb them. During the 1000s, the Normans developed these into Motte and Bailey castle designs.

What was the name of the castle that Normans built in the 1000s?

During the 1000s, the Normans developed these into Motte and Bailey castle designs. Effectively, a ‘Motte’ was a large mound of earth, and a ‘Bailey’ was the flattened area beside the mound. The ‘Motte’ could be surrounded with a ditch, and buildings could be placed on the bailey – made of timber or, if time permitted, stone.

What is Gothic castle?

Gothic Castles: A Mid-Medieval building style that’s become synonymous with fear, spooks, and hauntings. Gothic Castle (Malbork, Poland) (Credit: Jeroen Fossaert) There were many problems with stone castles – not least for the fact that they were generally cold, damp, and unpleasant to live in.

What is a shell keep in Castle Motte?

To do so, they built a ‘shell keep’ – a thin ring of stone around the buildings on top of the castle Motte (mound). This ring of stone replaced old, sea, wooden fencing. Of all the castle designs featured on this page, shell keeps are a relatively rare and interesting phenomenon.

What are the windows in a castle?

Windows. Windows in a real castle are rarely seen below the top floor, although they have been added in later times in many castles. Renaissance windows were added to many medieval castles. Early windows were not large, and often were not glazed.

What is a latrine in a castle called?

Such latrines were often placed inside a small chamber. Technically it was this chamber that was properly called a guarderobe, but it has been extended to the privy within.

Why were kitchens divided?

These kitchens were divided based on the types of food prepared in them. In place of a chimney, early buildings had a hole in the roof through which some of the smoke could escape. Kitchen was sometimes housedv in a separate sunken floor building to keep the main building free from indoor smoke and the risk of fire.

What was the only method of heating food in the Middle Ages?

The kitchen remained largely unaffected by architectural advances throughout the Middle Ages; open fire remained the only method of heating food. European medieval kitchens were dark, smoky, and sooty places, whence the name "smoke kitchen".

What are defensive stairways?

Stairways. Defensive stairways to external defensive features were generally built in wood, so that they could be quickly dismantled or destroyed intimes of threat. Other stairways were generally in stone. The most famiar are the stone spiral staircases found in many castles and church buildings.

What were medieval castles?

Rooms in a Medieval Castle. Medieval castles were undeniably powerful defensive fortifications, designed to protect a territory from attack by enemy forces, but they also had a domestic function. As the seat of power for lords and monarchs, medieval castles were often large enough to house a considerable staff, ...

What was the primary room of a castle?

In a similar vein, as the great hall was the primary room of a castle it was often adorned with other decorations – these impressive rooms would often feature vaulted ceilings and intricate window frame mouldings, for example. As the medieval period progressed, great halls became larger as the size of castles increased.

Why was the buttery important?

The buttery was presided over by a ‘butler’, who would serve the beer in the great hall. Beer was consumed very regularly in a medieval castle, as it was much safer to drink than water – most meals would be accompanied with very weak beer for this reason, so the buttery was an important storage room.

What is the solar room in the castle called?

In some cases, the private bedroom of the lord would have a small hole leading to the great hall, which would allow him to overhear conversation there. These upper floor chambers were also known as the ‘Great Chambers’ or alternatively as the ‘Solar’. The solar was the private living quarters of the lord of the castle.

What was the fireplace decorated with?

Fireplaces, and in particular mantelpieces, were often elaborately decorated with coats of arms and other heraldic devices carved out of wood, plaster or stone.

What is the function of the Great Hall?

The great hall had many different functions: it could be used to receive guests and hold ceremonies; it could be used as a dining space, both by the family and household of the castle’s lord and by guests; the hall could also double as a sleeping space, with members of the household bedding down on the floor.

Why were the kitchens separate from the Great Hall?

Castle kitchens were separate from the great hall and other living quarters, primarily so that the noise and smoke from the kitchen did not reach residential parts of the castle. Cooking was conducted using large open fires, over which food was cooked on spits, as well as ovens.

Why were castles built?

Castles built primarily to be military fortifications were powerful structures, engineered with thick walls and narrow entrances to repel enemies, whereas castles intended to be used as domestic or symbolic spaces tended to be more spacious and more highly decorated, with less attention paid to actual military effectiveness. ...

Why were stone castles so durable?

Stone castles were also far more durable and did not need repairing and maintenance work nearly so regularly as wooden castles, which were quite susceptible to the elements. Lords who built stone keep castles were able to project a clear image of their wealth and power.

What is a motte and bailey castle?

Motte-and-bailey castles, as the earliest incarnation of the medieval castle, were relatively simple structures, consisting of an earthwork known as a motte (atop which would stand a tower) and a bailey, a compound positioned at the base of or next to the motte, usually enclosed by a wall or fence.

What style of architecture did Norman castles use?

Notably, Norman castles were usually constructed with elements of Romanesque architecture, a style that originated in Normandy in the 11 th century and which is closely associated with rounded arches and huge proportions.

How big are mottes?

Mottes could be up to 90 meters wide and a staggering 30 meters tall, although the vast majority in England (69%) were between two and five meters tall.

Why is Stone Keep Castle so popular?

Stone keep castles superseded wooden motte-and-bailey castles for two main reasons: the stone was both a better defensive material (stronger than wood as well as being fire-proof) and more prestigious.

Why was securing territory important to feudal society?

In this feudal society, based around land ownership and service, securing possession of territory was crucial to lords and nobles being able to maintain their social, economic and political position. It was into this system that castles developed.