What is the most protected part of a castle?

What is the most protected part of a castle? Keep / Donjon / Bergfried A solid central stone tower, usually multiple stories tall and the last defensible stronghold within a castle, provides the highest level of protection. The keep was the most essential part of a castle and could be defended even after castle walls had been breached.

Which UK county has the most castles?

This bettered Northumberland, which is known to be home to the most castles in the UK, but our research shows that this north-east coastal haven actually comes in second with 81 castles! Aberdeenshire takes third place with 78 castles followed closely by Cumbria (77) and the Highlands (70).

What is a gatehouse in a castle?

A gatehouse is a type of fortified gateway, an entry control point building, enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a town, religious house, castle, manor house, or other fortification building of importance.

What is the oldest castle in the UK?

Which UK castle reigns as the oldest? We delved into our research to discover that Pevensey Castle in east Sussex steals the title as the oldest castle in the UK. Built in the year 280CE, it is a medieval castle and former Roman Saxon Shore fort.

What is the courtyard in a castle called?

Bailey or Ward: courtyard within the walls of the castle.

What is a moat in a castle?

moat, a depression surrounding a castle, city wall, or other fortification, usually but not always filled with water. The existence of a moat was a natural result of early methods of fortification by earthworks, for the ditch produced by the removal of earth to form a rampart made a valuable part of the defense system.

Why were castles painted white?

Castle walls could be plastered and whitewashed to protect the walls and mortar.

What is a bailey in a castle?

A bailey is the sturdy wall around a castle that keeps invaders out. The bailey of a medieval castle was usually built of stone. You might see a bailey — or the remains of one — if you tour a castle in England or France.

What is the weakest part of any castle?

The Gate. The entrance was often the weakest part in a castle. To overcome this, the gatehouse was developed, allowing those inside the castle to control the flow of traffic. Gatehouses were inside the wall and connected with the bridge over the moat, but they were more than just doorways.

What is the most defensive castle in the UK?

Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the Key to England due to its defensive significance throughout history.

What was the most vulnerable part of the castle and why?

Gatehouses, the most vulnerable point of the castle, often became mini-castles in themselves, as at Dunstanburgh Castle, with towers and barbicans guarding their approaches, as at Helmsley Castle. Walls were made taller to stop missiles being flung over them, and to give extra velocity to missiles aimed at attackers.

Which part of the castle was heavily defended?

The Keep or Donjon A keep was the big tower and usually the most strongly defended point of a castle before the introduction of concentric defence. Keep was not a term used in the medieval period – the term was applied from the 16th century onwards – instead donjon was used to refer to central towers.

What is the most attacked castle in the UK?

Attacks on Edinburgh Castle In fact, it's been besieged more than any other place in Britain, with 23 recorded attempts to 'capture the castle'. Taking the castle wasn't just a tactical coup for Scotland's enemies but a blow to the morale of the Scots.

Who protects a castle?

Some knights had the special job of protecting the castle that the king or queen lived in. They would deal with anyone who was attacking the castle or trying to steal things. Together, the knights who protected the castle were called a garrison.

What was the worst job in a castle?

When it comes to horrible jobs in a castle, gong farmer has to win the prize. Gong farmers, also known as nightmen, were responsible for cleaning out human excrement from the cesspits within the castle walls.

What is the most important part of a castle?

The drawbridge is one of the most important parts of a castle and one you've probably heard of before! A drawbridge was a type of bridge between the gatehouse and the opposite side of the moat. During raids, the drawbridge would be raised to keep invaders out.

What is the safest part of a castle?

What other rooms were there in a Medieval castle? 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.

What is the safest castle in the UK?

The Tower of London is the most secure castle in the UK. This mediaeval fortress has served as a royal palace, prison, execution ground, and military stronghold.

What is the strongest castle in the UK?