Castle+Defenses

TaihoC-CMS will research this topic
The constant whistling of arrows ,and the shrill screams of the wounded. The splashing of boiling oil and, the shuddering of the main gate. However the gate is holding. The defenders are pushing the invaders back.The fighting is over and repairs must be made.Their greatest defense and weapon the castle.

Here are some facts about castles. [Earthwork defenses or natural deference do not count as castles.]England First Castle para 2.[A castle must have a keep,a gatehouse,inner and outer walls,and stone walls and roof.] England First Castle para 2.


 * Walls[[image:Warwick_Castle_-mist.jpg width="363" height="243" align="right" caption="/www.dbeintennessee.com"]]**

Some disadvantages of castle walls are they must have large amounts of men to man. They take a very long time to construct and repair. The walls can aid either the defender or the invader. It allows the defenders to keep then enemy away for some amount of time ,but it could aid the invaders by allowing them to shower the defenders with arrows

Advantages of the castle wall are they provide protection from the elements,invaders,and feral creatures.[Archers have an elevated position from which they can fire arrows threw arrow slits.] __Castle__//,//Reid,Straun. Enemies must have massive armies to try to invade a castle.

Traps are among the deadliest things castles have to offer, and the reason for this is that you cannot see them.Most traps are in the bailey and were pitfall ,but some were caltrops or bear traps. However the deadliest trap was the ramp leading to the gate. First the enemy would march onto the ramp ,and when they got close to the gatehouse the defenders pulled the pins from the ramp collapsing it.

Use of a gatehouse is [that guards can be housed there,and not many were needed to defend it] welsh castles para.4,6,8.The defenders can control the portcullis from the upper room.]welsh castles para. 4,6,8. [Then the defenders would drop things from murder holes onto the enemies.]welsh castles para.4,6,8.
 * Gatehouse**[[image:siege.jpg width="243" height="331" align="right" caption="geoffmyers.net"]]

Advantages are [the gatehouse is an armory]welsh castle para.4,6,8. The gatehouse is attached to the castle allowing soldiers to move to different parts of the wall. If needed it can be used as a medical station.

The reason why the gatehouse was so deadly was because of the bar.[The barbican was a walled passage that leads to the gatehouse]welsh castles para4,6,8. So the invaders would suffer heavy losses.

The Keep was basically a fortress within a fortress.[The Keep either had a well or underground spring.]welsh castles para 4,6,8. A Keep had walls and a tower as defenses. The Keep could also house hundreds of people.
 * Keep**

The Keep seems a formidable adversary ,but it to can be defeated. [For one the invaders could tunnel beneath the walls to collapse them.] Reid,Straun __Castle.__ The one thing however that every fortress is vulnerable to is disease and starvation.

Finally the gate an enormous door that would have to be breach by a battering ram or siege engine.This however is no easy feat for the gate is reinforced with steel bars,wooden timbers,and defenders placing themselves against it. First however the enemy would have to fill the moat with rocks. Then they can move a battering ram in place to attempt to breach it.

Castles are deadly and nearly imposable to conquer,But if one has the knowledge and a massive army it can be done.
 * Conclusion**

June 2009.England First Castle History Today Reid,Straun.__Castle__ :Barnes and Nobles Books.New York Winner Offset Co.Honk Kong [|Http://www.castles.me.UK].
 * Works Cited**

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