Castle Quest - Reply to Topic

Forum:	Castles In General & Medieval History
Topic:	Entrances to Castles---What was the castle's first physical line of defense?

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Radella I know there was a drawbridge which could be used if there was a moat, but I am lost for the next part (the iron door that can be pulled up and down by gears.) does anybody know what it is called? LIke I said, I am dawing a blank. Thanks!
Merlin The german term for what you mean is ŤFallgatterť, which in english is Ťportcullisť.
But the first line of defence was at most castles a rampart or a trench (or a series of both, completed with pallisades) and sometimes even the castles natural defences like the steep walls of a rocky hill it stood on. Drawbridges are (at least in central europe) a relatively late invention. Most pre-13thcentury-castles just had good outside defences and one or a series of very strong doors.
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AJR The contraption you are thinking of is a portcullis, which would have been an iron OR wooden grille gate with spikes.
Erik Schmidt Not all castles have a portcullis, but some had two doors.
I'm not sure what is most common, but I know the door often came before the portcullis. The gap seen above and just in front of many gates was for shooting or throwing down objects at attackers or for pouring water on a burning gate.
Erik
Radella thank you, everyone! Yes, I knew the german term but not the english one! yes, thanks again!
Levan Instead of a portcullis, many Scottish castles had a woven iron gate called a 'yett'.
Dunnochter Castle has a wonderful example of a series of ditches that encircle the castle. There are many examples of moats and ditches in Wales, Beaumaris is a particularly fine example.
Some later castles had a artillery battery surrounding them, these in turn were often surrounded by ditches. Threave castle is built on an island in a river. It has a moat surrounding the castle, followed by an artillery battery, then a series of ditches, and then the river!
Levan