How was a drawbridge used in the medieval times?
The Drawbridge was needed so that inhabitants of a medieval castle could easily get in and out of the castle, however the main purpose of the Drawbridge was that it provided a way to stop enemies attacking the castle and prevented siege weapons being pushed towards the castles walls and gates.
What was a drawbridge and how was it used in a castle?
A drawbridge was a wooden bridge leading to a gateway, capable of being raised or lowered to either accommodate or prevent entry into the castle, and often spanned a ditch or moat.
What is the point of a drawbridge?
Just like all bridges, drawbridges allow cars and people to cross over large bodies of water. The other purpose is what makes a drawbridge unique: when it moves, river traffic is not blocked and therefore can flow easily. This drawbridge in Chicago is raised to allow boats to travel down the river.
What is the main purpose of a drawbridge?
Just like all bridges, drawbridges allow cars and people to cross over large bodies of water. The other purpose is what makes a drawbridge unique: when it moves, river traffic is not blocked and therefore can flow easily.
What are battlements used for in a castle?
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals to allow for the launch of arrows or other projectiles from within the …
How does a drawbridge defend a castle?
Castle drawbridges Medieval castles were usually defended by a ditch or moat, crossed by a wooden bridge. Access to the bridge could be resisted with missiles from machicolations above or arrow slits in flanking towers.
How do medieval drawbridges work?
Classical, medieval drawbridges worked via the simple principle of counterweight, with large wood and metal bridges pivoted via a series of balancing weights in a castle’s gatehouse. The weights, which were attached to the bridge’s lifting chains, enabled the platform to be raised via a windlass,…
Does a stone keep castle have a drawbridge?
Stone keep castles offered much better defence than the wooden castles which were built before them. They had thick and strong walls, a drawbridge and were defended by a moat or ditch. These stone castles were expensive to build, and their construction often took several years.
What was in the medieval castle moats?
A medieval castle moat was a deep and wide ditch surrounding medieval castles for the purpose of defence . The ditch was filled with water and thus acted as one of the primary castle parts for protection against enemy invasion. Preliminary forms of ditches surrounding castles and towns were found in ancient civilisations of Assyria and Egypt.