Showing posts with label Fortifications. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fortifications. Show all posts

Monday, November 11, 2019

Half Tower


We just learned about the Caltrop spikes in the ground.

Another type of fortification is a Half Tower.

This is a tower in a castle that is open in the back or on the sides.
It is usually open to the inside of the castle so that people can get in and out easily, but still be protected from the outside.


(from: wikipedia - half tower)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Mortizburg Castle

Monday, November 4, 2019

Caltrop


We just learned about the Czech Hedgehog.

Another type of castle fortification is a Caltrop.

These are kind of like the Czech Hedgehogs as they are spikey things on the ground, but they are a lot smaller.
Caltrops would be put out over where enemies would be marching, so that they had to walk slowly and carefully to try and not step on one of the spikes.


(from: wikipedia - caltrop)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Catherine Palace

Monday, October 28, 2019

Czech Hedgehog


We just learned about the Dragon's Teeth used to stop tanks.

Another type of fortification is a Czech Hedgehog.

These were iron bars that were welded together in criss cross patterns and then put out on the ground to stop tanks.
The tanks couldn't drive over them, and they were too heavy to push around.
They also could not be knocked over, because even if they were tipped over they would still make the same kind of X star shape that tanks couldn't drive over.

They were called Czech Hedgehogs because they are spikey like a hedgehog, and they were first used in Czechoslovakia to protect them from German tanks during World War II.


(from: wikipedia - czech hedgehog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Predjama Castle

Monday, October 21, 2019

Dragon's Teeth


We just learned about the Witch Tower.

Another type of fortification is Dragon's Teeth.

Much later than the old times of swords and arrows, one of the most powerful weapons in war was the tank.

Tanks were pretty much just armored cannons on wheels, and could not be destroyed by soldiers or simple guns.
So people made other ways to stop them, like putting giant spikes into the ground that tanks could not drive over.


(from: wikipedia - dragon's teeth (fortification))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Bellver Castle

Monday, October 14, 2019

Witch Tower


We just learned about the Trou de Loup trap.

Another part of a castle is a Witch Tower.

This was a tower in a castle that was used as a prison.
In the old times if the people thought someone might be a witch they would keep them locked up in the tower, which is where it got its name.


(from: wikipedia - witch tower)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Palace of Versailles

Monday, October 7, 2019

Trou de Loup


We just learned about the Abatis tree fortification.

Another type of fortification is the Trou de Loup, which is French for Wolf Hole.

This is a hole used as a trap that people would dig in front of the castle, and then cover up with something like straw or sticks so people didn't see it until they walked right on top of it.


(from: wikipedia - trou de loup)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Château de Chantilly

Monday, September 30, 2019

Abatis


We just learned about the Fujian Tulou.

Another type of fortification is an Abatis.

During a battle, sometimes people will chop trees down and lay them on the ground with the branches facing toward the enemy.
They tie them together with ropes or wires so they can't be moved out of the way.

This makes it very hard for the enemy to climb through, and helps keep away the attackers.


(from: wikipedia - abatis)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Peleș Castle

Monday, September 23, 2019

Fujian Tulou


We just learned about the Meurtrière.

Another type of castle fortification is the Fujian Tulou.

This is a circle shaped building that is made out of dirt that is packed in tight, and mixed in with stone, bamboo and wood.
On the inside of the building are rooms for people to live in.
The top part of the buildings has gun holes to help fight against people that are attacking.


(from: wikipedia - fujian tulou)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Citadel of Qaitbay

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Meurtrière


We just learned about the Battery Tower in a castle.

Another type of fortification is the Meurtrière, also called a murder hole.

These were holes in the ceiling where people from above could throw rocks, shoot arrows or pour hot water on attackers to keep them out of the castle.


(from: wikipedia - murder hole)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Windsor Castle

Monday, September 9, 2019

Battery Tower


We just learned about the Hoarding wooden shed attached to the castle wall.

Another fortification is a Battery Tower.

This is a type of tall tower on the edge of a castle, with holes in it for cannons and guns that people can use to defend the castle.


(from: wikipedia - battery tower)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hohensalzburg Fortress

Monday, September 2, 2019

Hoarding


We just learned about the big gated door called the Yett.

Another kind of castle fortification is a Hoarding.

This is a wooden shed that is built on the outside of a stone castle, to help protect archers and defenders of the castle during a battle.

These hoardings are usually not built on the castle until there is a battle.
When they are put up, there are holes in the side of a castle called putlogs or putlocks that they would put logs into, and then build the hoarding on top of that.


(from: wikipedia - hoarding (castle))

(from: wikipedia - putlog hole)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spiš Castle

Monday, August 26, 2019

Yett


We just learned about the Portcullis door that slides down.

Another type of castle door is the Yett.

This is a door made out of wrought iron bars, but it is on hinges and swings open and closed sideways like a normal door.



(from: wikipedia - yett)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Buda Castle

Monday, August 19, 2019

Portcullis


We just learned about the Drawbridge.

Another castle fortification is the Portcullis.

This is a big heavy door to a castle that opens and closes by sliding up and down.

It was set into grooves on both walls, and then using ropes, pulleys and cranks it could be raised and lowered.

Because it was set into the walls and was very heavy, it couldn't be shoved open as easy as a normal door.

Some castles would even make two portcullis doors, so they could trap the attackers in between them.



(from: wikipedia - portcullis)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Himeji Castle

Monday, August 12, 2019

Drawbridge


We just learned about the Castle Keep.

Another part of a castle is a Drawbridge.

This is a type of bridge that goes across a moat, that can be pulled up to keep people from getting into the castle.

Drawbridges are still used today for bridges that go across rivers or lakes.

There are a few different types of drawbridges, like a bascule bridge that has two ends that lift up in the middle, a vertical lift bridge that has one piece that goes up and down together, or a swing bridge that spins in the middle.






(from: wikipedia - drawbridge)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Citadel of Aleppo

Monday, August 5, 2019

Castle Keep


We just learned about the Bastion that sticks out from the curtain wall.

Another castle fortification is a Keep.

This is a tall tower that is part of a castle where someone would hide out if the rest of the castle was being attacked.

Sometimes a keep was surrounded by another big curtain wall, and the kings or owners of the castle would stay in the keep to be protected in case someone broke through the other fortifications.


(from: wikipedia - keep)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Prague Castle

Monday, July 29, 2019

Bastion


We just learned about the Butter Churn Tower.

Another part of a castle is a Bastion, also sometimes called a bulwark.

This is a part of the curtain wall that goes around a castle, and it sticks out beyond the wall.

The bastion was made for cannons and other weapons to be further out from the curtain wall, to fight off the people coming to attack the castle.


(from: wikipedia - bastion)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Kronborg Castle

Monday, July 22, 2019

Butter Churn Tower


We just learned about the Outworks.

Another type of a castle part is the Butter Churn Tower.

This is a tower that has an upper and lower defensive wall.

It gets its name because it looks kind of like a butter churn.


(from: wikipedia - butter-churn tower)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Mehrangarh

Monday, July 15, 2019

Outworks


We just learned about the part of a castle called the Roundel.

Another part of castle buildings are Outworks.

These are extra things built on the outside of the castle to help defend it.

There are a lot of different types of outworks:

ravelin - A triangular shaped wall outside the main wall of a castle

(from: wikipedia - ravelin)

tenaille - A v shaped wall that looks like a pair of pincers out in front of another wall

(from: wikipedia - tenaille)

lunette - A half moon shaped wall outside of the castle walls

(from: wikipedia - lunette (fortification))

There are other types of outworks like flèches, caponiers and more!
People really worked hard to come up with ways to protect the walls of their castles.


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blarney Castle

Monday, July 8, 2019

Roundel


We just learned about the Palisade fence in front of a castle.

Another part of a castle is a Roundel.

This is a rounded end of a castle wall where people could stand and defend their castle.


(from: wikipedia - roundel (fortification))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Bran Castle

Monday, July 1, 2019

Palisade


We just learned about the watery Moat that goes around a castle.

Another part of a castle is a Palisade, also sometimes called a stakewall or paling.

This is a fence made from iron or wooden stakes that was put around a castle to help defend it.
Because it wasn't very big like a stone wall, these defenses could be put up very quickly if people were afraid of an attack coming soon.



(from: wikipedia - palisade)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Malbork Castle