What was the top of a castle wall called?
What was the top of a castle wall called? A battlement is the upper walled part of a castle or fortress. It's usually formed out of a low, narrow wall on top of the outermost protective wall of a fortress or castle. The word ''battlement'' traces to an old French term that means tower or turret, and the original use of battlements was for protection.
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.
What Barbican means?
barbican • \BAR-bih-kun\ • noun. : an outer defensive work; especially : a tower at a gate or bridge.
What are the different parts of a castle called?
- The Towers. These tall, round or square structures were built into the length or corners of the castle walls. ...
- The Gate. The entrance was often the weakest part in a castle. ...
- The Bailey or Ward. ...
- The Keep or Donjon. ...
- The Curtain Walls. ...
- The Moat. ...
- The Battlement.
What are the notches on top of a castle called?
The notches themselves are called crenels or embrasures, and the process of installing them is crenellating. The word stems from the Latin cren (also the root of cranny), which means notch. Definitions of crenellate. verb. supply with battlements.
What is the keep on top of a castle?
Dongjon or keep - The inner stronghold of a castle, usually found in one of the towers. Drawbridge - A heavy timber platform built to span a moat between a gate house and surrounding land that could be raised when required to block an entrance.
What are the square things on top of castles called?
Battlements were the square-shaped part of the walls around the top of the castle. They usually had a walkway behind them so that soldiers could stand there when looking out for potential threats. They were also useful for soldiers who were defending the castle during an attack.
What is a rampart in a castle?
In fortification architecture, a bank or rampart is a length of embankment or wall forming part of the defensive boundary of a castle, hillfort, settlement or other fortified site. It is usually broad-topped and made of excavated earth and/or masonry.