How did castles defend themselves in medieval times?

Battlements were walls on the roof of a castle. They had higher walls, called merlons, with lower gaps between, called crenels. Defenders would use crossbows to shoot arrows through the crenels,and then hide behind the higher merlons.

What was daily life like in a medieval castle?

Daily life in a medieval castle was filled with a constant hubbub of busied work in the kitchens, preparations for celebrations in the Great Hall, and religious worship in each castle’s own chapel. However, of course, life in a Medieval castle would have also included military activities.

How were castles used for defense?

The defenders could fire missiles through gaps (crenels). The raised sections between, called merlons, helped to shelter the defenders during an enemy attack. These were stone boxes that projected from the walls of castles and had holes in the floors for dropping stones or boiling oil on attackers.

What was a castle’s most important defensive feature?

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 castle outer defense?

The crossword clue Outer defence of a castle or walled city with 8 letters was last seen on the January 16, 2016. We think the likely answer to this clue is BARBICAN.

How were stone keep castles defended?

Stone keep castles offered much better defence than the wooden castles which were built before them. They had thick and strong walls, a drawbridge and were defended by a moat or ditch. These stone castles were expensive to build, and their construction often took several years.

How did castles defend against siege towers?

In order to prevent an enemy getting over the wall the castle builders selected their site with great care so that the terrain would be difficult for a belfry to cross. They then made it more difficult by digging a ditch or moat around the curtain walls in order to prevent the towers getting close to the battlements.

Did they use boiling oil to defend castles?

The idea of buckets of hot oil being dropped on attackers is common in TV and film, but hot oil was rarely used as a weapon. Those defending the castle would sometimes pour hot sand, boiling water or quicklime on attackers who were using scaling ladders to climb the walls.

What are two defensive features in a medieval castle?

Moat – a perimeter ditch with or without water. Barbican – a fortification to protect a gate. Curtain Walls & Towers – the perimeter defensive wall. Fortified Gatehouse – the main castle entrance.

What are arrow slits used for in a castle?

An arrowslit (often also referred to as an arrow loop, loophole or loop hole, and sometimes a balistraria) is a narrow vertical aperture in a fortification through which an archer can launch arrows or a crossbowman can launch bolts.