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What is a battlements in a castle?
Crenellation is a feature of defensive architecture, most typically found on the battlements of medieval castles. A battlement is a low, defensive parapet. Crenels are rectangular gaps or indentations which occur at regular intervals along the parapet, usually measuring 2-3 ft wide. …
What is a castle parapet?
Parapets in fortification A parapet fortification (known as a breastwork when temporary) is a wall of stone, wood or earth on the outer edge of a defensive wall or trench, which shelters the defenders. In medieval castles, they were often crenellated. In later artillery forts, parapets tend to be higher and thicker.
Are battlements Gothic?
English late Gothic parapets frequently adopted the battlement form. During the Renaissance the use of the balustrade largely superseded the parapet, but in northern Europe the transitional early Renaissance styles offer many examples of fantastically scrolled and pierced parapets.
What is a courtyard in a castle?
Courtyard – The open area with the curtain walls of a castle. Curtain Wall – The stone walls around a castle. GateHouse – A strongly built and fortified main entrance to a castle. It often has a guard house and or living quarters.
How do you beat a medieval castle?
The main methods of attacking a Medieval Castle were:
- Fire.
- Battering Rams.
- Ladders.
- Catapults.
- Mining.
- Siege.
How do you defend a castle?
How to defend a castle
- Building up high. Building a castle up high made it difficult for enemies to get to the castle.
- Tall towers. Strong towers were added to curtain walls to watch out for enemies.
- Battlements. Battlements were walls on the roof of a castle.
- Arrow slits.
- Moat.
- Drawbridge.
- Portcullis.
- Dungeons.
What are the up and down bits on a castle called?
Battlements – The up and down bits on the top of the walls, where a defender did battle from, much the same as the parapet. The techincal term is crenellations, the openings are called embrasures or crenelles and the solid projections are called merlons.
What are the spikes on a castle called?
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals to allow for the launch of arrows or other projectiles from within the …
What was the role of the battlements in medieval times?
Summary of Castle battlements. Castle battlements were an essential part of medieval castles defences without them it would have been very difficult to defend a medieval Castle.
Where are the battlements located in a castle?
The battlements are usually placed on top of the outer main castles walls at the entrance but can be added to any part of a castles main walls, included all walls. This is the main part of the Battlement the low stone wall that Crenels and Merlons are added to complete the battlement.
How tall was a battlement in medieval times?
A battlement also describes a defensive city wall made from stone that often surrounded a medieval town. Parapets (walls) were usually at chest height or head height so that they protected the bodies of the castles archers and military
What was the purpose of the battlements in Game of Thrones?
The battlements are the projections or towers placed along the wall, with the function to protect the castle. In the battlements the defenders of the castle hid to defend it of the possible attacks. Many of the battlements had holes, known as saeteras or embrasures.