KNOW YOUR CASTLE

Let us now imagine we are approaching a large masonry castle in medieval western Europe. Our medieval social status matters a great deal, as it will alter our perception of the castle architecture and its symbolism. However, we will focus on identifying the features we encounter, and which we may have spotted on the exterior of other castles we have visited in the past.

The first part of the castle we reach is the external walls and any or ditches (a ditch is also called a ). If this is a , as were many Crusader castles and King Edward I of England’s Welsh castles of Harlech and Beaumaris, then this is the first set of walls you reach, as a concentric castle was so named for the layers of enclosing walls it had. More probable is that there is just one set of external walls. These enclose a courtyard, known as a or depending on the type of castle - we tend to describe tower houses as having bawns and earthand-timber castles as having baileys. The main castle complex sits within this bailey, though we might expect some buildings outside, especially the houses of the castle’s tenants and servants, and maybe some stables.