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The Keep
A keep is a strong central tower which is used as a dungeon or a fortress. Often, the keep is the most defended area of a castle, and as such may form the main habitation area, or contain important stores such as the armoury, food, and the main water well, which would ensure survival during a siege.
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Portcullis
A portcullis is a latticed grille or gate made of wood, metal or a combination of the two. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege.
Each portcullis was mounted in vertical grooves in castle walls and could be raised or lowered quickly by means of chains or ropes attached to an internal winch. There would often be two portcullises to the main entrance. The one closer to the inside would be closed first and then the one farther away. This was used to trap the enemy and often, burning wood or fire‐heated sand would be dropped onto them from the roof. |
Arrowslits
The Arrow Slits were narrow vertical windows from which castle defenders launched arrows from a sheltered position. Arrow slits are also referred to as loopholes, arrow loops or bow loops. Arrow slits were different designs and sizes which accommodated the shape of different weapons.
Arrow slits were accessed from wide inside areas narrowing to long, narrow apertures. The arrow slits were built to accommodate the archers who launched arrows using the short bow, the crossbow and the longbow. |