Systemy obronne zamków. Castle Defences Systemy obronne zamków.

Some people live in cottages

Others in a block of flats

….or a big house. A house consists of a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, a dinning room. There is usually a garden next to it. It often has a garrage for a car to be parked in.

Castle Defences A castle was built to withstand attack from enemy. Castle builders added many defensive features to make their castles difficult to attack. Many castles were built on high ground with clear views of the surrounding land. Moats Attackers were easy to shoot whilst swimming or rowing across the moats filled with water. Moats reduced the risk of tunnelling under the castle.

Ramparts Ramparts were steep banks of earth or rubble. Attackers had to climb over them to get closer to the castle.

High walls The walls of the castles were very high making it hard for attackers to climb over. Can you see the people in the photograph? They look so tiny compared to the huge entrance to Bodiam Castle.

Curtain walls Tall thick curtain walls surrounded the castle buildings like a strong shield. There were few doors in the wall thus limiting access to the castle.

Flanking Towers Towers built as part of the curtain wall. Castles with curtain walls with flanking towers were more difficult to capture. A good early example of a castle with flanking towers is Framlingham in Suffolk. Along the curtain wall, at intervals, are thirteen square or rectangular towers.

Battlements The top of the castle walls were the battlements, a protective, tooth shaped parapet often with a wall walk behind it for the soldiers to stand on. The defenders could fire missiles through gaps (crenels). The raised sections between, called merlons, helped to shelter the defenders during an enemy attack.

Gateway defences 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 spiked wooden or metal barrier, called portcullis, helped protect the doors from fire and battering. It was lowered by chains from a chamber above the gateway. The word portcullis comes from the Old French porte-coleice, meaning sliding door. gate or door to the castle was usually a thick, iron-studded wooden door, that was hard to break through.

Murder Holes Murder holes were openings in the ceiling just in front of a gate or in the passage beyond. They were so called because it was believed that they were used by defenders in the chamber above to drop hot liquids down on the unfortunate attacker.

Arrow and Gun Loops These provided a safer means of firing arrows on the attackers of the castle. They are found in many different styles on the curtain wall and towers of the castle.

Why did they stop building castles? Castles were great defences against the enemy. However, when gunpowder was invented the castles stopped being an effective form of defence. By the end of the 1300s gunpowder was widely in use. The medieval castle with its high vertical walls was no longer the invincible fortification it had been.

Battlements The top of the castle walls were the battlements, a protective, tooth shaped parapet often with a wall walk behind it for the soldiers to stand on. The defenders could fire missiles through gaps (crenels). The raised sections between, called merlons, helped to shelter the defenders during an enemy attack.

Flanking Towers Towers built as part of the curtain wall. Castles with curtain walls with flanking towers were more difficult to capture. A good early example of a castle with flanking towers is Framlingham in Suffolk. Along the curtain wall, at intervals, are thirteen square or rectangular towers.

Curtain walls Tall thick curtain walls surrounded the castle buildings like a strong shield. There were few doors in the wall thus limiting access to the castle.

High walls The walls of the castles were very high making it hard for attackers to climb over. Can you see the people in the photograph? They look so tiny compared to the huge entrance to Bodiam Castle.

Ramparts Ramparts were steep banks of earth or rubble. Attackers had to climb over them to get closer to the castle.

A castle was built to withstand attack from enemy A castle was built to withstand attack from enemy. Castle builders added many defensive features to make their castles difficult to attack. Many castles were built on high ground with clear views of the surrounding land. Moats Attackers were easy to shoot whilst swimming or rowing across the moats filled with water. Moats reduced the risk of tunnelling under the castle.

Others live in block of flats

….. or houses. A house usually consists of a living room, a bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen, a dinning room. It has got a garden in the back and a garrage.