Anatomy of a Castle: The Castle Keep

Keep in the center of Blackness Castle, Scotland

Within the castle walls you will find the Castle Keep. The Keep is a heavily fortified central tower serving as the last defense of the castle. This might also be called a donjon, especially academically, though donjon is not to be confused with dungeon, they are different things altogether. If the enemies have breached the castle walls and gotten past the gatehouse to the inner bailey - everyone would be in the castle keep, and they would try as they may to defend it. It was the last stronghold. 

The Keep at Trim Castle, Ireland

View of Castle Keep at Chepstow Castle, Wales

Strategically situated on a Cliffside on the River Wye

Keep & Great Hall at Caerphilly Castle, Wales

Depending on the date of the castle, some keeps were central towers, giants rising from within the inner bailey. Later, some were built so that one side of the keep was part of the castle walls. Most often, the Great Hall would be found near the bottom of the keep and the living quarters at the top. 

Keep of Carrickfergus Castle, Ireland

Keep of Ross Castle, Ireland

Round Keep of Pembroke Castle, Wales

Interior (looking up) of Round Keep at Pemrboke

Though in its day, there would have been several floors to this tower 

and a staircase to reach them all. Now it is home to a million pigeons and doves

whose cooing was amplified magnificently. 

Anatomy of a Castle: The Inner Bailey

Raglan Castle, Wales

Once inside the gatehouse, you are in the castle bailey, or courtyard. The bailey is the open space within castle walls, often populated with grand buildings like the castle Keep or Great Hall and smaller structures like stables, the blacksmith's shop, a well or cistern, and usually a garden. Think of the castle environment as a small village- it must have everything for daily living like food, water, transportation, etc. Access to all of these things were most likely in the castle bailey, safe within the protection of the castle walls. This was especially important if you were to find yourself surrounded by enemies, unable to leave the castle walls. Visiting a castle now, the bailey is usually just a wide open green space populated with visitors, but imagine a small bustling village there. It is hard to capture these large spaces within a photo but think of your favorite medieval film or television series.... they have surely illustrated these scenes of life within the castle walls.

Caerphilly Castle, Wales

Cheptstow Castle, Wales

Stirling Castle, Scotland

Pembroke Castle, Wales

The large map was originally a royal tennis/croquet court

Pembroke Castle, Wales

Caernarfon Castle, Wales

Caernarfon Castle, Wales

Anatomy of a Castle: The Gatehouse

Gatehouse at Kidwelly Castle, Wales

Cross the drawbridge and you'll likely find yourself staring up at the gatehouse, the front door of the castle and arguably the strongest part of the castle.  Flanked, usually, by two enormous towers, peppered with arrow loops, and a slew of armed guards. The gatehouse might sometimes be referred to as a barbican, which is defined as a defensive tower, usually a double tower, of a castle or walled city, often above a gate or drawbridge.

Bridge over moat and Grand Gatehouse of Caerphilly Castle, Wales

Gatehouse of Carrickfergus Castle, Northern Ireland

Gatehouse at Pembroke Castle, Wales

Barbican & Gatehouse at Harlech Castle, Wales

Gatehouse at Caernarfon Castle, Wales

The tunnel through the gate is often extremely thick, supporting several doors or gates, usually including a portcullis. A portcullis is a heavy gate or grill, usually made of metal, which could be raised and lowered with pulleys inside the gatehouse. If lowered at the right time, the portcullis could be a weapon in its own right, impaling or crushing enemies. Two doors lowered in concert could also trap enemies. From within the gatehouse, soldiers could shoot arrows through arrow loops as well as make use of the murder hole. A murder hole is a gap, situated inside the doorway, above where people enter, through which boiling water, hot oil, and rocks might have been heaved upon unsuspecting enemies.

Gate and Portcullis at Cahir Castle, Ireland

Ruined Gate at Rock of Dunamase, Ireland

Anatomy of a Castle: Castle Walls

Harlech Castle Walls, Wales

The first line of defense for a castle was location. The lucky ones are perched atop volcanic crags where they can see miles in all directions. Many are on ocean cliffs or along rivers, all serving strategic purposes. After location, the well defended castle has a wall, sometimes called a curtain wall. Later some castles, called Concentric Castles, would have a set of two concentric walls, one inside the next. These walls could be from around 2 meters and 8 meters thick!

Pembroke Castle, Wales

Some castle walls adjoined walls that encircled the entire town such as Conwy Castle, Wales. Conwy Castle was a built for English King Edward I in Wales in 1283 to quell Welsh Rebellions against the crown. Walls were extended to envelop town, where only English settlers & soldiers were allowed. Many castles such as this were built in Wales at this time (Pembroke, Harlech, Caernarfon, Beaumaris, etc).  The walls contain many defensive elements that make up the castle's battlements. Learn more about these in my next post. Until then, enjoy your walk upon the ramparts.

Map of Conwy Castle and complete Town Walls, Wales  (source)

Stretch of Conwy's Town Walls which you can still walk.

Atop Conwy Castle, Wales

Kidwelly Castle, Wales