The Parts of a Castle

1
The Parts of a Castle
By Jeanine Reeman, Brianne Dwyer, and Cristina
Trezza
2
The Main Idea
A castle had one or more courtyards. Along the
inside of the courtyard walls were the main rooms
in buildings. Everyone ate near the great hall.
Others things such as stables, workshops, and
extra rooms were found in buildings farther away
from the great hall. However castles were not
just buildings, they were also fortresses during
war.
3
Why Some Towers Were Round

• Square towers had weak corners
• Defenders could fire arrows from all directions
• Their importance for defense made them extremely
  popular in the Middle Ages

4
Moats

• Used for defensive purposes
• Prevented undermining of the castle
• Were either filled with water or stakes to make a
  barrier for men and horses

5
Dungeons

• Used for holding prisoners
• In extreme cases used for torturing them

6
Murder Holes

• Used for defensive purposes
• Heavy stones, hot sand, boiling lead, and boiling
  tar were dumped onto enemy soldiers as they
  passed by
• Holes in the ceilings of castle gate ways

7
The Drawbridge

• Used for defensive purposes.
• A wooden platform with one hinged side that
  connected it to the castle and the other side was
  raised with ropes or chains.

8
The Portcullis

• Used for defensive purposes.
• A heavy, spiked door hung from the gatehouse or
  barbican ceiling.
• The ropes could be cut quickly and it would fall
  down, blocking the entrance of invaders.

9
Crenellations

• Used for defense and attack.
• Regular gaps built at the top of castles for
  firing arrows.

10
The Gatehouse

• Used for defense and attack purposes.
• The entrance to the castle.
• A fortified structure.
• Might be defended by the barbican.

11
Barbican

• Used for defense attack purposes.
• At the entrance of the castle, confining the
  enemy in a thin passage.
• The exterior passage leading to the main
  entrance, the Gatehouse.
• Contained Murder Holes, arrow slits, called death
  traps.

12
Curtain Wall

• Used for defense purposes.
• The outer wall surrounded by the Motte and Baily
  castles.
• 6-20 feet thick
• 45 feet high
• 1, 500 feet long

13
The Keep

• Used for defense purposes.
• Strongest place in the castle.
• At first, keeps were square, but then they were
  designed into a circular shape. This is because
  square corners were vulnerable to attacks.

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THE END