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Here are a few things to try and spot when visiting castles. Most were useful for keeping out enemies whose main weapons were bows and arrows, catapults, battering rams and siege towers.
Moat A deep water filled ditch surrounding the castle walls. Many have now been drained.		Drawbridge A bridge that could be raised or lowered from inside the castle to allow people to cross the moat.
Portcullis A strong wooden and iron grating for blocking the gateway. Set in grooves so that it can slide up and down.		Arrow Slit A hole in the wall through which defenders could fire arrows without themselves becoming easy targets.
Gun-Loop After the invention of cannons, holes through which to fire them were often cut below arrow slits.		Murder Holes Holes in the roof of a passageway through which rocks or boiling oil could be thrown on the enemies below.
Wall-Walks These were between towers and gave soldiers on guard a good view of the surrounding countryside.		Machicolations These are holes in the parapets or battlements through which stones and weapons were thrown.
Fireplace In ruined castles these are often seen high up on interior walls. This shows where wooden floors used to be.		Spiral Staircases These wind around a central pillar inside towers, they connect the separate storeys of the castle.

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The following pages were designed by MIRROR IMAGE. All photographs taken by Ray Urwin©.
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