We just learned about the small castle guard buildings called Barbicans.
Another part of a castle is a Moat.
A moat is a trench or ditch going around the outside of the castle walls, to try and make it harder for attackers.
Usually a moat has water in it, but sometimes it doesn't and is called a "dry moat".
Moats make it so that people can't dig tunnels under the ground to sneak into the castle, and they also make it hard for attackers because they have to swim over to the castle.
Sometimes the water in moats was also used as water for the people in the castle to grow plants.
In some countries like Japan a castle might have 3 different moats, and the moats might be built like a winding river going around the castle.
(from: wikipedia - moat)
Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cité de Carcassonne
