What were the defensive problems of square keep castles?

What were the defensive problems of square keep castles?

They had a common defensive feature. Each castle had thin slits for windows on the lower floors. The shape of these windows prevented invaders from entering the castle but enabled archers to shoot arrows from inside. Aside from being used as a military base, monarchs (or lords) and their families lived in the keep.

What defensive features did medieval castles have?

The typical features of a medieval castle were: Moat – a perimeter ditch with or without water. Barbican – a fortification to protect a gate. Curtain Walls & Towers – the perimeter defensive wall.

What problems did stone keep castles have?

However there still remained a number of weaknesses within the design of these castles. Stone keeps are square and an attacker could, if they were fortunate enough to get close enough, mine underneath a corner and wait for the weight of the castle to bring the walls caving in.

What weapons were used to defend castles?

Medieval Castle Defense and Assault

• Fire.
• Battering Rams.
• Ladders.
• Catapults.
• Mining.
• Siege.

How were castles attacked?

Fire – Early castles were made of wood, so they were easy to attack by setting fire to them. Battering ram – A large log that was hit against the castle walls to weaken them. Catapult – Catapults, or trebuchets, threw large stones and burning objects at the castle.

Are Castles good for defense?

But more importantly, castles were defensive in nature, being skillfully designed to resist attacks by armies many times larger than those manning its parapets. As such, great efforts were made by builders to ensure that their castles could withstand an enemy onslaught.

What was a castle keep used for?

keep, English term corresponding to the French donjon for the strongest portion of the fortification of a castle, the place of last resort in case of siege or attack.

What was the purpose of a staged castle defence?

Aside from slowing down attackers and prolonging a siege, staged defences often allowed the different layers to support each other: for example, concentric castles typically had inner walls that were higher than the outer walls, allowing archers or crossbowmen on both walls to engage attacking besiegers simultaneously.

What are castles keep?

A castle keep is usually the central tower located within a castle. Basically it is a castle within a castle as it has traditionally been used as a final defensive structure. Early castle keeps (11th century) were usually just square towers and little more than a hall with strong walls.

How many towers are on top of a castle?

Along the curtain wall, at intervals, are thirteen square or rectangular towers. The top of the castle walls were the battlements, a protective, tooth shaped parapet often with a wall walk behind it for the soldiers to stand on. The defenders could fire missiles through gaps (crenels).

What did the top of a castle look like?

Battlements. The top of the castle walls were the battlements, a protective, tooth shaped parapet often with a wall walk behind it for the soldiers to stand on. The defenders could fire missiles through gaps (crenels). The raised sections between, called merlons, helped to shelter the defenders during an enemy attack.