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Castle Terminology

Below you will find short definitions for many of the terms associated with medieval castles. The list is by no means complete, and certain minor terms have been omitted. Some of the definitions are additionally hyperlinked to pages that show examples of the item being discussed.

Allure or Wall-walk passage behind the parapet of a castle wall

Apron Wall a castle Apron Wall is typically a low wall encircling the keep, protecting the base of the tower

Apse circular or polygonal end of a tower or chapel

Arcading rows of arches supported on columns, free-standing or attached to a wall (blind arcade)

Arrow Loop A narrow vertical slit cut into a wall through which arrows could be fired from inside

Ashlar blocks of smooth, squared stone of any kind

Bailey or Ward courtyard within the walls of the castle

Ballista engine resembling a crossbow, used in hurling missiles or large arrows

Barbican an outwork or forward extension of a castle gateway

Barrel vault or barrel-vaulted chamber is a semicircular roof of stone & timber often found below ground

Bartizan an overhanging corner turret

Bastion a small tower at the end of a curtain wall or in the middle of the outside wall

Battlement a narrow wall built along the outer edge of the wall walk to protect soldiers against attack

Belfry tall, movable wooden tower on wheels, used in sieges

Buttery a room in a castle where barrels or butts of alcoholic drinks were stored

Concentric having two sets of walls, one inside the other

Crenelation a notched battlement made up of alternate crenels (openings) and merlons (square sawteeth)

Cross-wall an internal dividing wall in a great tower

Curtain wall a castle wall enclosing a courtyard

Cut an assault tower

Corbel stone bracket projecting from a wall or corner to support a beam

Donjon the inner stronghold (keep) of a castle

Drawbridge a wooden bridge leading to a gateway, capable of being raised or lowered

Drum Tower a round tower built into a wall

Dungeon jail or place of imprisonment, usually found in one of the towers

Enceinte an enclosing wall, usually exterior, of a fortified place

Escalade scaling of a castle wall

Finial a slender piece of stone used to decorate the tops of the merlons

Forebuilding a projection in front of a keep or donjon, containing the stairs to the main entrance

Garderobe a medieval toilet, usually a simple hole discharging to the outside into a cesspit or the moat.

Gate House the complex of towers, bridges, and barriers built to protect each entrance through a castle or town wall

Gun-Loop a stand-alone round opening, or an opening at the base of an arrow-loop used to fire a rifle at attackers

Hall principal living quarters of a medieval castle or house

Hoarding covered wooden gallery affixed to the top of the outside of a tower or curtain to defend the castle

Inner Ward or Bailey open area in the center of a castle

Keep the inner stronghold of the castle

Machicolation a projection in the battlements of a wall with openings through which missiles could be dropped on besiegers

Mangonel stone:throwing machine worked by torsion, used as a siege weapon against castles

Merlon part of a battlement, the square "sawtooth" between crenels

Meurtriere arrow loop, slit in battlement or wall to permit firing of arrows or for observation

Moat a deep trench usually filled with water that surrounded a castle

Motte an earthwork mound on which a castle was built

Murder Holes holes or slots between the main gate and a inner portcullis where arrows, rocks, and hot oil could be dropped on attackers

Oriel Window projecting room on an upper floor, later an upper-floor bay window

Oubliette a dungeon reached by a trap door

Palisade a sturdy wooden fence built to enclose a site until a permanent stone wall could be constructed

Parapet protective wall at the top of a fortification, around the outer side of the wall-walk

Portcullis vertical sliding wooden grille shod with iron suspended in front of a gateway designed to protect the gate

Postern Gate: a secondary gate or door often located at the rear of the castle

Putlog Hole putlog holes are small holes made in the walls of castles to receive the ends of poles or beams to support a scaffolding.

Revet face with a layer of stone, stone slabs etc., for more strength. Some earth mottes were revetted with stone

Ringwork a ringwork is an earthwork castle which has no identifiable strong point or motte

Sapping undermining, as of a castle wall

Screens wooden partition at the kitchen end of a hall, protecting a passage leading to the buttery, pantry, and kitchen

Solar originally a room above ground level, but commonly applied to the great chamber or a private sitting room off the great hall

Springald war engine of the catapult type, employing tension

Trebuchet war engine developed in the Middle Ages employing counterpoise

Turning Bridge a drawbridge that pivoted in the middle

Turret a small tower rising above and resting on one of the main towers, usually used as a look out point

Wall Walk the area along the tops of the walls from which soldiers could defend the castle

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Allure or Wall-walk	passage behind the parapet of a castle wall
Apron Wall	a castle Apron Wall is typically a low wall encircling the keep, protecting the base of the tower
Apse	circular or polygonal end of a tower or chapel
Arcading	rows of arches supported on columns, free-standing or attached to a wall (blind arcade)
Arrow Loop	A narrow vertical slit cut into a wall through which arrows could be fired from inside
Ashlar	blocks of smooth, squared stone of any kind
Bailey or Ward	courtyard within the walls of the castle
Ballista	engine resembling a crossbow, used in hurling missiles or large arrows
Barbican	an outwork or forward extension of a castle gateway
Barrel vault	or barrel-vaulted chamber is a semicircular roof of stone & timber often found below ground
Bartizan	an overhanging corner turret
Bastion	a small tower at the end of a curtain wall or in the middle of the outside wall
Battlement	a narrow wall built along the outer edge of the wall walk to protect soldiers against attack
Belfry	tall, movable wooden tower on wheels, used in sieges
Buttery	a room in a castle where barrels or butts of alcoholic drinks were stored
Concentric	having two sets of walls, one inside the other
Crenelation	a notched battlement made up of alternate crenels (openings) and merlons (square sawteeth)
Cross-wall	an internal dividing wall in a great tower
Curtain wall	a castle wall enclosing a courtyard
Cut	an assault tower
Corbel	stone bracket projecting from a wall or corner to support a beam
Donjon	the inner stronghold (keep) of a castle
Drawbridge	a wooden bridge leading to a gateway, capable of being raised or lowered
Drum Tower	a round tower built into a wall
Dungeon	jail or place of imprisonment, usually found in one of the towers
Enceinte	an enclosing wall, usually exterior, of a fortified place
Escalade	scaling of a castle wall
Finial	a slender piece of stone used to decorate the tops of the merlons
Forebuilding	a projection in front of a keep or donjon, containing the stairs to the main entrance
Garderobe	a medieval toilet, usually a simple hole discharging to the outside into a cesspit or the moat.
Gate House	the complex of towers, bridges, and barriers built to protect each entrance through a castle or town wall
Gun-Loop	a stand-alone round opening, or an opening at the base of an arrow-loop used to fire a rifle at attackers
Hall	principal living quarters of a medieval castle or house
Hoarding	covered wooden gallery affixed to the top of the outside of a tower or curtain to defend the castle
Inner Ward or Bailey	open area in the center of a castle
Keep	the inner stronghold of the castle
Machicolation	a projection in the battlements of a wall with openings through which missiles could be dropped on besiegers
Mangonel	stone:throwing machine worked by torsion, used as a siege weapon against castles
Merlon	part of a battlement, the square "sawtooth" between crenels
Meurtriere	arrow loop, slit in battlement or wall to permit firing of arrows or for observation
Moat	a deep trench usually filled with water that surrounded a castle
Motte	an earthwork mound on which a castle was built
Murder Holes	holes or slots between the main gate and a inner portcullis where arrows, rocks, and hot oil could be dropped on attackers
Oriel Window	projecting room on an upper floor, later an upper-floor bay window
Oubliette	a dungeon reached by a trap door
Palisade	a sturdy wooden fence built to enclose a site until a permanent stone wall could be constructed
Parapet	protective wall at the top of a fortification, around the outer side of the wall-walk
Portcullis	vertical sliding wooden grille shod with iron suspended in front of a gateway designed to protect the gate
Postern Gate:	a secondary gate or door often located at the rear of the castle
Putlog Hole	putlog holes are small holes made in the walls of castles to receive the ends of poles or beams to support a scaffolding.
Revet	face with a layer of stone, stone slabs etc., for more strength. Some earth mottes were revetted with stone
Ringwork	a ringwork is an earthwork castle which has no identifiable strong point or motte
Sapping	undermining, as of a castle wall
Screens	wooden partition at the kitchen end of a hall, protecting a passage leading to the buttery, pantry, and kitchen
Solar	originally a room above ground level, but commonly applied to the great chamber or a private sitting room off the great hall
Springald	war engine of the catapult type, employing tension
Trebuchet	war engine developed in the Middle Ages employing counterpoise
Turning Bridge	a drawbridge that pivoted in the middle
Turret	a small tower rising above and resting on one of the main towers, usually used as a look out point
Wall Walk	the area along the tops of the walls from which soldiers could defend the castle