What is a portcullis gate?

A portcullis is a heavy castle door or gate made of metal strips that form a grid. The Old French root is porte coleice, “sliding gate,” which combines coleice, “sliding or flowing,” and porte, “gate or door.”

What is the iron gate in a castle called?

A yett (from the Old English and Scots language word for “gate”) is a gate or grille of latticed wrought iron bars used for defensive purposes in castles and tower houses.

What is the entrance room of a castle called?

Gatehouses and Guardrooms The modern gatehouse is a feature of European castles, manor houses and mansions. Gatehouses made their first appearance in the early antiquity when it became necessary to protect the main entrance to a castle or town.

What are the different parts of a castle called?

Castle features

• 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.

How is a portcullis raised?

Every portcullis was mounted in vertical grooves in the walls of the castle and could be raised or lowered quickly by means of chains or ropes attached to an internal winch. Portcullises had an advantage of gates in that they could be closed immediately at a time of crisis by a single guard.

What does a Barbican look like?

A barbican (from Old French: barbacane) is a fortified outpost or fortified gateway, such as at an outer defense perimeter of a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes.

What are the bumps on a castle wall called?

These gaps are termed “crenels” (also known as carnels, or embrasures), and a wall or building with them is called crenellated; alternative (older) terms are castellated and embattled.

What is a great chamber in a castle?

The great chamber was the second most important room in a medieval or Tudor English castle, palace, mansion, or manor house after the great hall. Medieval great halls were the ceremonial centre of the household and were not private at all; the gentlemen attendants and the servants would come and go all the time.

What are the up and down bits on a castle called?

These gaps are termed “crenels” (also known as carnels, or embrasures), and a wall or building with them is called crenellated; alternative (older) terms are castellated and embattled. The act of adding crenels to a previously unbroken parapet is termed crenellation.

What are the top parts of a castle called?

Battlements were the square-shaped part of the walls around the top of the castle.

Where is the portcullis located?

A portcullis (from Old French porte coleice, “sliding gate”) is a heavy vertically-closing gate typically found in medieval fortifications, consisting of a latticed grille made of wood, metal, or a combination of the two, which slides down grooves inset within each jamb of the gateway.

Why do castles have only one entrance gate?

The first was to minimise the number of openings, including gateways. The second was to provide additional defense for gateways. The first was acheived by severely restricting the number of gateways. Except for postern gates, a typical castle would have only a single entrance gate.

What is the development of the gatehouse in a castle?

The Development of the Castle Gatehouse. In Medieval times, castles were designed to withstand siege and attack. Every castle had the same weak point, however. No matter how strong the outer walls were, every castle was vulnerable at its main entrance.

What is the strongest part of a medieval castle?

Castle Gatehouse: The Strongest Part of any Medieval Castle. The castle gatehouse was one of the most defensive parts of any medieval fortress. It was a strong, fortified building positioned to defend the entrance to a castle.

What is the bridge between the moat and the castle?

Once you get past the moat, there’s the drawbridge that is technically a bridge between the other side of the moat and the castle’s gateway. This bridge was raised and lowered using chains to either welcome guests or block enemies out during raids. Over time, this drawbridge was replaced with a permanent stone bridge.