What was the most important thing for a castle to have?
What was the most important thing for a castle to have? 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 is the most important feature of a medieval castle?
Walls and towers Thick stone walls and tall towers kept the castle's inhabitants safe from attack, even when an enemy army besieged (surrounded) the castle.
What makes a strong castle?
Build thick walls and battlements The castle also has high 'curtain walls' which protect the castle's inner and outer 'wards' or 'baileys'. These are the courtyard areas inside the walls where important buildings like the keep, or perhaps stables and storehouses would have been built.
What do castles usually have?
The wall exhibits features common to castle architecture: a gatehouse, corner towers, and machicolations. A keep was a great tower and usually the most strongly defended point of a castle before the introduction of concentric defence.
Why are castles called castles?
The word 'castle' derives from the old English word 'castel', which meant village. Villages were often fortified, but in peaceful times the villages expanded, leaving only the central part fortified.
What was the strongest part of a medieval castle?
Particularly large towers are often the strongest point of the castle: the keep or the bergfried. As the gate is always a vulnerable point of a castle, towers may be built near it to strengthen the defences at this point.
What is a small castle called?
A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade.
What was 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 are important rooms in a castle?
The most important room in a castle was the Great Hall. This is where all the members of the household sat down to eat at tables set up for every meal. It was where feasts were held for special days, or when there were guests. King Arthur's Pentecost Feast takes place in such a Hall.
What were the main features of a castle?
external features - such as towers battlements, thick walls, a moat, a drawbridge, etc. internal features - such as a well, large stores to guard against siege, a hall for everyone to socialise.
Was it cold in castles?
Without electricity and just wood for heat, castles were often dark and cold in Medieval times, Bachrach said.
What is the weakest part of a castle?
The entrance to the castle was always its weakest point. Drawbridges could be pulled up, preventing access across moats. Tall gate towers meant that defenders could shoot down in safety at attacks below. The main gate or door to the castle was usually a thick, iron-studded wooden door, that was hard to break through.
What makes a castle a castle?
A castle is fundamentally two things, a residence for a laird, and a place that offers significant protection. If it's only one or the other, that's problematic. A grand building with no defensive features would be a palace, chateau or country house.