Castle Terms

Wall Walk- Walkway behind the parapets of the castle's wall

Arrow Loop- A narrow vertical or cross-shaped slit in the wall in which to fire your crossbow from.

Bailey or Ward- courtyard inside the castle.

Ballista- Large war engine used to fire large arrows, looks like giant crossbow

Barbican- Extension of castle that is in front of inner keep's walls

Concentric- Type of castle that has two sets of walls

Crenels- Types notched out battlements, openings in parapets in which to shoot from

Donjon- Keep of the castle

Drawbridge- Bridge spanning over the moat, used as main entrance to the castle

Dungeon- holding place of prisoners

Hoarding- The wooden add-on to the outside of the castle walls fixed atop the crenels and used during war time

Moat- The trench that encircles the castle's walls, usually is filled in with water

Motte- Large earth mound made from the earth dug from the moat

Palisade- Wooden wall guarding the keep

Parapet- wall on top of the fortification in which to shoot from, also shaped with crenellations

Portcullis- vertical sliding iron gate used to separate the gatehouse from the outer ward