The Big Picture

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Caerphilly Castle
'The Big Picture'
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• Introduction About our project
• Defending the castles
• Portcullis
• Defending Passageway
• Murder Holes
• Water Defence
• Weapons
• Ballista
• Perrier

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Contents Page
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Contents Continued...
5.Water Mill 6. Great hall 7. Chapel
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Introduction
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This Presentation is going to help you put
together pieces of evidence to make a BIG PICTURE
of the history of Caerphilly Castle.
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Caerphilly Castle in South Wales is one of the
largest castles in the United Kingdom. It was
built by Gilbert De Clare between the years 1268
and 1271. By 1267 Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last
native prince of Wales, has become lord of the
greater part of Wales. He posed a threat to De
Clare, the Anglo Norman lord of Glamorgan and the
castle was built in response to this
threat. Caerphilly is considered to be the
earliest and finest example of the true regular
concentric fortification in the British Isles.
The water defences are thought to be modelled on
those of of Kenilworth castle. There is a large
collection of siege engines, based on known early
examples.
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'The Big Picture' Timeline
1066 The Norman Conquest of England. Harold is
killed at Hastings and the Norman marcher lords
are established along the Welsh border
lines. 1067 Chepstow Castle is started by
William fitz Osbern. 1090 The first Norman
Castle is built in Cardiff. 1215 English Barons
force King John into signing The Magna Carta.
Limiting rights for Wales. 1246 82 Llywelyn
ap Gruffydd (the last), prince of Gwynedd rules
much of Wales.
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The Gatehouse
The main gate towers are square at the base but
the corners are finished in spurs. There are
arrow loop windows at each of the towers three
floors. Above the central gate passage, there are
small holes that were used to run through ropes
or chains to lift up the bridge. They were also
used as murder holes, through which boiling
limewater or tar was poured on the enemy if they
entered the gatehouse.
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Defending the Castle
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Portcullis
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The portcullis was a gate that shut over the
entrances of the castle to keep out invaders and
unwanted visitors.
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Murder Holes
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These were holes in the ceiling of the entrance
to the castle. People in the castle would pour
hot limewater or boiling tar onto invaders.
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Defendant Passageway
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These were long slits in the walls where people
shot arrows to kill and wound unwanted visitors.
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Great Hall
The great hall is where most of the castles main
events would have taken place. As well as having
a huge fireplace to keep the building warm, the
kitchens and chapel that were both important,
were part of the same building and connected by
doors and corridors.
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Water Defences
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Caerphilly Castle is like a floating island,
surrounded by water it was very difficult to
attack. Swimming across the huge moat was
literally impossible and any entrances to the
castle across the moat would be blocked off.
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Water Defences II
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Weapons
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Perrier
Trebuchet
Mangonel
Click on names for enlargements
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Ballista
The Ballista was a giant crossbow which was first
used by the ancient Greeks. On most occasions,
the bow had twin arms each worked by tension
from twisted rope or hair. The single-armed bows
also worked using simple tension.
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The Perrier
The Perrier was very similar to the trebuchet but
only a bit smaller. It was used to propel stone
missiles and worked by the single arm being moved
by human muscle power. The Perrier being smaller,
didnt throw things as far as the trebuchet but
was also used to knock down castle walls.
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The
Perrier
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The Trebuchet
The Trebuchet was a heavy timber framework, with
an A-frame supporting a pivot for the huge
throwing arm. A strong wooden box filled with
stone ballast is placed on a second pivot at the
front of the arm, a rope sling for the missile is
attached to the other end. The Trebuchet was very
accurate and the distance it threw its missiles
could be altered by the weight of the ballast.
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The
Trebuchet
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