What is a barbican in a medieval castle?
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.
Is a barbican part of a castle?
A castle’s barbican is a fortified outpost or gateway that works as an outer defense perimeter or second barrier. In medieval times, the barbican was set in front of the main castle walls and connected to them through a neck. In many cases, barbicans formed part of a castle gatehouse complex.
What were the parts of a castle called?
There were various medieval castle parts that made up a castle which included moats, ramparts, walls, turrets, towers, look outs, and gatehouse.
What are the different parts of a medieval castle?
Features
- 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.
- Keep (aka Donjon or Great Tower) – the largest tower and best stronghold of the castle.
What is a gatehouse in a medieval castle?
A gatehouse is a type of fortified gateway, an entry control point building, enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a town, religious house, castle, manor house, or other fortification building of importance.
What is a castle bastion?
A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. As military architecture, the bastion is one element in the style of fortification dominant from the mid 16th to mid 19th centuries.
What is the center of a castle called?
Inner Ward
Inner Ward – The open area in the center of a castle. Keep – See donjon.
What are the top parts of castles called?
A battlement is the upper walled part of a castle or fortress. It’s usually formed out of a low, narrow wall on top of the outermost protective wall of a fortress or castle. The word ”battlement” traces to an old French term that means tower or turret, and the original use of battlements was for protection.
What are the top parts of a castle called?
A battlement is the upper walled part of a castle or fortress. It’s usually formed out of a low, narrow wall on top of the outermost protective wall of a fortress or castle.
What is the Barbican Castle in Wales?
The photo you can see is of the impressive castle gatehouse of Harlech Castle, which you can discover in Wales. The Barbican funnelled attackers through an obstacle course riddled with danger. The Barbican was a further development in the defensive design of a castle.
What is a barbican in architecture?
They are fortified outposts or gateways, typically forming the outer defence to a fortified city or castle, (The Barbican in London marks the site of a barbican defending an important entrance to the City of London) Barbicans sometimes take the form of a tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes.
How did they defend castles in medieval times?
The barbican and the gatehouse were two important parts of Medieval castle defence, but there were many other obstacles and hazards built to protect Medieval castles from attack. This would have been another area of hustle-and-bustle, and the focus of day-to-day residential life in the castle.
Is the barbican gate in front of the Chateau comtale incomplete?
Internal view of the Barbican gate in front at the Chateau Comtale at Carcassonne. It is not incomplete – the gateway is built “open a la gorge” deliberately so that even if attackers should take it, they will still be vulnerable to fire from the Chateau Comtale