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Forum:	School Projects
Topic:	How to protect castle from trebuchet?

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Bryan91119111 Hello, I have been given an assignment to assume that Im a midieval engineer. In this assignment I need to find a way to trebuchet proof my castle. I have the choice of making changes before construction or finding ways to defend an existing one. Does anyone have any suggestions or know where I would find some good sources on the web to help me out on this project? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Bryan
Erik Schmidt I afraid I don't have any sources to point you to that I know have this info. Try these links; http://members.iinet.net.au/~rmine/gctrebs.html http://www.middelaldercentret.dk/ http://198.144.2.125/Siege/siege.htm http://www.trebuchet.com/links/
A large trebuche was a feared piece of war machinery. It has been said that castles surrendered if the attackers managed just to build one, without having to fire a shot, but that was not usually the case.
Building and operating one was no small task, a large one being as tall as a 6 storey building and taking 60 men to operate.
The only way I know of to Trebuche proof your castle would be to build it so that no trebuche could be positioned within firing range of the walls. This would mean either building in swampy ground with very wide moats(lakes) or on a very steep, rocky outcrop. It would be nearly impossible to build the castle to withstand attack from a large trebuche.
If a trebuche was to be used against a castle there are counter means which could be used by the defenders. They could ride out and attack the trebuche or they could build trebuches inside the castle to destroy those build by the attackers.
Erik
Gordon Series of concentric ditches were used in later times to prevent canon coming within range, why not trebuchet too? Some castles wirh concentric ditches date from earlier times, and not all ditches have been dated.
Of course a beseiging force could infil or bridge the ditches to allow movement toward the walls, but defensive action could delay this, and the measure in itself is a delaying tactic allowing the mustering of a releif force.
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'Demeure par la verite'
Visit; Gordon's Scottish Castles Resource Page
duncan One other way to lessen the damage done by the the thrown object was to have stones that projected out from the wall in uneven broken lines. These stones were embedded deeper into the core or butted against others that were. They would take the impact first, often disintegrating and lessening the impact upon the wall itself.
Stronger and thicker walls came about from the use of trebuchet and cannon.
Merlin Castles in a mountain area had often only one side were they could be succesfully attacked: from the mountain- or hillside, were the attacker could find a place at level with or higher as the castle. Therefore the most defending structures were built on that side, also because the bridge to the entrance, always one of the weakest points, was often there. A classical layout for such a castle, built on a rock at a hillside, would be: A very deep ditch between castle and hillside as first, and the main-tower with very thick walls (several meters) as second line of defence. Instead of or combined with the maintower there could also be a shield-wall (in german: Schildmauer) which had to be very high and thick to proof the other buildings against trebuchet-attacks and burning arrows.
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T O P I C R E V I E W
Bryan91119111	Hello, I have been given an assignment to assume that Im a midieval engineer. In this assignment I need to find a way to trebuchet proof my castle. I have the choice of making changes before construction or finding ways to defend an existing one. Does anyone have any suggestions or know where I would find some good sources on the web to help me out on this project? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Bryan
Erik Schmidt	I afraid I don't have any sources to point you to that I know have this info. Try these links; http://members.iinet.net.au/~rmine/gctrebs.html http://www.middelaldercentret.dk/ http://198.144.2.125/Siege/siege.htm http://www.trebuchet.com/links/ A large trebuche was a feared piece of war machinery. It has been said that castles surrendered if the attackers managed just to build one, without having to fire a shot, but that was not usually the case. Building and operating one was no small task, a large one being as tall as a 6 storey building and taking 60 men to operate. The only way I know of to Trebuche proof your castle would be to build it so that no trebuche could be positioned within firing range of the walls. This would mean either building in swampy ground with very wide moats(lakes) or on a very steep, rocky outcrop. It would be nearly impossible to build the castle to withstand attack from a large trebuche. If a trebuche was to be used against a castle there are counter means which could be used by the defenders. They could ride out and attack the trebuche or they could build trebuches inside the castle to destroy those build by the attackers. Erik
Gordon	Series of concentric ditches were used in later times to prevent canon coming within range, why not trebuchet too? Some castles wirh concentric ditches date from earlier times, and not all ditches have been dated. Of course a beseiging force could infil or bridge the ditches to allow movement toward the walls, but defensive action could delay this, and the measure in itself is a delaying tactic allowing the mustering of a releif force. ------------------ 'Demeure par la verite' Visit; Gordon's Scottish Castles Resource Page
duncan	One other way to lessen the damage done by the the thrown object was to have stones that projected out from the wall in uneven broken lines. These stones were embedded deeper into the core or butted against others that were. They would take the impact first, often disintegrating and lessening the impact upon the wall itself. Stronger and thicker walls came about from the use of trebuchet and cannon.
Merlin	Castles in a mountain area had often only one side were they could be succesfully attacked: from the mountain- or hillside, were the attacker could find a place at level with or higher as the castle. Therefore the most defending structures were built on that side, also because the bridge to the entrance, always one of the weakest points, was often there. A classical layout for such a castle, built on a rock at a hillside, would be: A very deep ditch between castle and hillside as first, and the main-tower with very thick walls (several meters) as second line of defence. Instead of or combined with the maintower there could also be a shield-wall (in german: Schildmauer) which had to be very high and thick to proof the other buildings against trebuchet-attacks and burning arrows. ------------------