What is a square keep in a castle?

Once William felt that the English had been tamed throughout England, he moved on to building more permanent castles – ones that would last for centuries. These are called square keep or stone keep castles. The most famous of these is the White Tower at the Tower of London.

What are the square things on castle walls called?

Battlements were the square-shaped part of the walls around the top of the castle. They usually had a walkway behind them so that soldiers could stand there when looking out for potential threats.

What part of a castle is the keep?

At the heart of a castle is its tower, known as the keep. The number of floors within the keep depended on its size and the wealth of its owner. All Keeps contained a large room known as the Great Hall. The enclosed area between the inside of the wall and the keep.

What is the difference between a keep and a castle?

The castle refers to the whole fortification: keep, motte, baileys, outer walls, towers and moats or ditches. A keep is the tall tower around which a castle is built an is usually where the bulk of the ready weapons, food supplies and other necessities are kept in times of peace and even imminent attack.

Why were square keep castles built?

Stone castles were built on a square or rectangular plan. Attackers had to simply find a way of tunnelling underneath one of the corners to bring down a whole section of the castle. Siege weapons like the trebuchet could fire heavy rocks, if these missiles hit a flat surface there would be major damage to the castle.

What are the things on castles 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 are those things on top of castles called?

In architecture, a battlement is a structure on top of castle or fortress walls that protects from attack. Historically, battlements were usually narrow walls at the top of the outermost walls of a castle. Battlements have several important parts. The short, topmost part of the wall was called the parapet.

Why is a keep called a keep?

The word originates from around 1375 to 1376, coming from the Middle English term kype, meaning basket or cask, and was a term applied to the shell keep at Guînes, said to resemble a barrel. Contemporary medieval writers used various terms for the buildings we would today call keeps.

What is a loophole 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.

What was the bailey used for in a castle?

The yard was surrounded by a wooden fence called a palisade and then a ditch. The bailey was the center of domestic life within the castle and could contain a variety of buildings, including halls, kitchens, stores, stables, a chapel, barracks, and workshops.

What was a weakness of the stone keep castles?

Stone keep castles were a lot bigger than motte and bailey castles and were able to hold more soldiers. Because of their vast size they were much harder to attack. However, they had two main weaknesses – there was nothing to be done if the enemy surrounded except remain in the castle.