What is the difference between inner and outer bailey?

What is the difference between inner and outer bailey?

The bailey was an open area inside the castle complex that contained the domestic and other necessary buildings of castle life. The inner bailey was an area inside the main castle, while the outer bailey lay outside the central castle defences, and was therefore more vulnerable to attack.

What is a ward in a medieval castle?

A castle’s Ward or Bailey is a courtyard enclosed by a curtain wall. Yards could be arranged in sequence along a hill (for example in spur castles, creating a lower and a higher bailey) or nested one inside the other.

What is the inner courtyard of a castle called?

An inner courtyard of a castle, sometimes called a Bailey. Basilica. A section at the base of a castle wall that is angled in such a manner to make dropped stones bounced away from the curtain wall and into the enemy.

What is the inside of a castle called?

Dongjon or keep – The inner stronghold of a castle, usually found in one of the towers. Drawbridge – A heavy timber platform built to span a moat between a gate house and surrounding land that could be raised when required to block an entrance.

What buildings were found in the inner ward?

The inner bailey enclosed the most important living quarters and defensive elements for the lord and his family, e.g. the great hall, the palas, the tower house and the keep or bergfried.

What was the keep in a castle?

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. The keep was either a single tower or a larger fortified enclosure.

What was the inner ward used for in a castle?

The inner bailey or inner ward of a castle is the strongly fortified enclosure at the heart of a medieval castle. It is protected by the outer ward and, sometimes also a Zwinger, moats, a curtain wall and other outworks.

What are the holes in castle walls called?

An arrowslit (often also referred to as an arrow loop, loophole or loop hole, and sometimes a balistraria) is a narrow vertical aperture in a fortification through which an archer can launch arrows or a crossbowman can launch bolts.

What did every castle have inside the walls?

Inside the castle walls there might have been a magnificent hall, comfortable chambers and a beautiful chapel. Larger castles had their own fish ponds, orchards and vineyards, as well as gardens which supplied vegetables and herbs.

What are the holes in a castle wall called?

A murder hole or meurtrière is a hole in the ceiling of a gateway or passageway in a fortification through which the defenders could fire, throw or pour harmful substances or objects such as rocks, arrows, scalding water, hot sand, quicklime, tar, or boiling oil, down on attackers.

What buildings were inside castle walls?

Below are the main rooms found in medieval castles and large manor houses.

• The Great Hall.
• Bed Chambers.
• Solars.
• Bathrooms, Lavatories and Garderobes.
• Kitchens, Pantries, Larders & Butteries.
• Gatehouses and Guardrooms.
• Chapels & Oratories.
• Cabinets and Boudoirs.