![]() ![]() At between 6 and 8 feet long, it gave a soldier extra reach to stab the enemy before close engagement. If at last, the invaders managed to get through the various castle defense systems, they were met with soldiers defending the castle with sharpened spears. The same tactic was effective against soldiers with battering rams, fending off attempts to bash down gates or walls. ![]() Flaming arrows fired at incoming siege towers could cause invading soldiers to have to flee the burning towers. An accurate bowman could easily take down numerous approaching invaders. The bow and arrow were one of the most commonly used and easily transported weapons. Its water may have been clean at first, but soon became a cesspit as sewage buckets were emptied daily. The average depth of a moat was around 30 feet. The ditch was purposely shaped when the sand and rocks were dug out for building materials for the castle. Most of the time, ditches were excavated as the castle was being constructed, and then filled with water. Moats were an important part of Medieval castle defense as well, almost a weapon in their own right for the capacity to drown or even poison (filthy waters) invaders if they tried to cross it. The remains of a “bascule” bridge can still be seen in Raglan Castle in Wales. A complex counterweight on either side would draw one side up while the other went down. The “bascule” system referred to a see-saw moat arrangement. Another drawbridge system worked like a clock, where the bridge could simply be swung into position, for example from the 3 to 6 o’clock position. In some castles, the portcullis was used as the counterweight to lift the drawbridge. Heavy chains on massive drawbridges could be raised by using counterweights from stones. More towers were strategically positioned at intervals around the circumference or on all sides of a castle, for 360-degree observation of the surroundings. Towers were usually built on each side of the gate, and a gate tower was built on top of the gate passage. Windsor Castle in England is one of the best examples of tower fortifications, most notably its stunning Round Tower. The TowersĬastle towers were fortified structures that provided not only excellent look-out points but also allowed for flanking fire covering the runs of curtain walls. The moat was a water-filled ditch of filth, from castle sewage water dumped into the moat, making it a particularly unpleasant swim for those who wanted to attempt it. Medieval castle defenses developed further to include moats that surrounded the castle, making the castle only accessible by one drawbridge. These internal bridges were used to pour burning oil and tar onto invaders trying to climb the curtain wall with ladders. The curtain walls, often over 6 feet wide, had an internal system of bridges. The towers were used as the primary positions for experienced bowmen who rained arrows onto the invaders. ![]() Caerphilly Castle flickr photo by hugh llewelyn shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license Caerphilly Castle and its concentric wall defences. These early non-structured curtain walls seem to have been easily breachable. They were built as high as possible and served as defense as well as protection against natural elements like storms. Curtain walls were made of rocks, rubble, and stone. The vulnerable wooden stakes were eventually replaced by strategically-placed rock-hewn towers linked by curtain walls. This kind of defensive structure was easily breached as they could be burnt and barraged by armies of invaders using a sturdy tree trunk and manpower. These were constructed from wooden stakes. Medieval Castle DefensesĬastle defenses in medieval times started off as rudimentary barriers surrounding settlements and villages. Caerphilly has four fortified gates that were never able to be broken down by battering rams during battle, a true testament to the engineering of this stronghold. Its imposing fortified walls in a concentric circle design protected by both round and square towers made the castle impenetrable. Known as the strongest fort in history, Caerphilly is a testament to the excellence of building and engineering innovations during medieval times. Caerphilly Castle in Wales is widely considered to be the strongest fortified historical structure anywhere in the world. ![]()
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