Archery A sport involving shooting with bows and arrows at a target.

Arrow loops Narrow slits in castle walls through which arrows were fired.

Bailey An open area enclosed by castle walls. Many castles had more than one: the inner bailey, around which the lord’s residence and important buildings were built, and the outer bailey, where the stables, marketplace and gardens could be found.

Ballista A siege engine like a giant crossbow.

Baron A wealthy nobleman, who pledged his loyalty to the king and used his armed retainers to defend the king’s realm in return for lands.

Battering ram A large beam used to break down walls or doors of a castle.

Battlements The top of a wall with a series of gaps (crenelles or embrasures) between raised portions (merlons). They were also called crenellations. Archers could fire through the crenelles while remaining protected behind merlons.

Belfry A wooden tower on wheels, which attackers used to climb over castle walls during a siege.

Blacksmith A person who makes or shapes iron objects, such as horseshoes, using heat from a fire to melt or soften the metal.

Caltrops Four-pronged metal stars thrown on the ground to injure horses’ and soldiers’ feet.

Castle In medieval times, a castle was a fortified building that served as a home for the king or a lord. Wars frequently broke out in medieval Europe so it was important that a lord could protect himself, his family and followers.

Chainmail Flexible armour made up of interlocking metal rings.

Chivalry The rules of polite and honourable behaviour that knights were meant to follow. These included protecting the weak and being courteous to women.

Coat of arms A shield marked with the symbols of a family. A knight would wear his coat of arms on his shield as a way of identifying himself in battle.

Concentric castle A castle with two or more sets of walls for added security.

Constable The commander of the garrison, who looked after the castle while the lord was away. He was also known as the castellan.

Crenellations see battlements

Crenelles The spaces between merlons.

Crossbow A mechanical bow using short bolts rather than arrows.

Curtain wall The outer wall of a castle.

Drawbridge A wooden bridge across a ditch or moat that could be raised or lowered.

Dubbing ceremony The ceremony in which a squire became a knight. The squire would kneel before his master, or the king, to receive a light tap on the shoulder with a sword and the words “I dub you knight”.

Dungeon A prison cell in the basement of castle. See also oubliette.

Fascines Bundles of sticks used to infill a moat.

Feudalism An arrangement by which land was granted in return for loyalty and military service during wars. These landowners, in turn, had control over the peasants, called serfs, who farmed their land.

Garderobe A toilet, often emptying into the moat.

Garrison The soldiers stationed at a castle.

Gatehouse The entrance to the castle. It usually had extra defences such as a drawbridge, portcullises and heavy gates.

Glaive A weapon consisting of a blade on the end of a long pole.

Herald The designer of a coat of arms. He also acted as an official at tournaments.

Heraldry The system used for designing coats of arms. Designs and colours often had meanings associated with the person who bore the arms.

Hill fort A stronghold built on a hilltop. Its buildings were surrounded by fences, ramparts and ditches.

Hoardings A wooden gallery built on top of the battlements. They provided extra protection to the guards on top of the walls during sieges. They had holes in the floor, through which guards could attack the enemy.

Joust A contest at a tournament in which two knights tried to knock one another off their horse using a weapon called a lance. It was a test of bravery and skill.

Keep The main stone tower inside the castle walls. It housed the living quarters for the lord and lady, as well as the Great Hall.

Keep castle An early style of castle consisting of just the square keep tower.

Knight A fighting man who promised loyalty to a baron or other noble and who served in battle as a mounted soldier. He was expected to follow a code of chivalry. During the Middle Ages, knights became a separate class of people, below the nobility in the feudal system, but above the merchants and craftworkers. Knights underwent years of training to learn fighting skills.

Lance A long, pointed pole used as a weapon in jousts and battles.

Limewash A mixture of lime and water used for painting the castle walls. It protected them from rain and made the castle gleam a brilliant white in the sun.

Longbow A large, powerful wooden bow.

Mace A metal club used in combat.

Machicolation An overhang above a gateway or at the top of a tower with holes through which guards could shoot or drop hot sand on attackers below.

Mangonel A large catapult used to throw rocks and missiles from close range. It was effective for smashing castle walls during a siege.

Mantlet A wooden shield on wheels.

Mason A builder in stone.

Melee A mock battle played during tournaments.

Moat A ditch surrounding a castle that could be filled with water or other waste material. It was the first line of defence for a castle.

Motte A mound, often manmade, on which a castle was built.

Motte-and-bailey An early European castle consisting of an earth mound (motte) with a wood or stone keep next to a courtyard (bailey) surrounded by a fence and ditch.

Multure A fee charged by the lord to farmers for using his mill to grind grain.

Murder hole An opening in the ceiling of the gatehouse, through which defenders could fire or drop missiles on the enemy below.

Oubliette An underfloor dungeon reached by a trapdoor.

Page A young boy who lived in a knight’s household, learning the skills and behaviour expected of a knight. He would become a squire at the age of 15 or 16.

Palisade A fence built from wooden stakes used to protect an area or settlement.

Penthouse A covered cart used to protect attackers infilling a moat.

Portcullis A heavy wood and iron protective grille, or pair of grilles, inside a gatehouse, raised and lowered in grooves by ropes or chains.

Ramparts Defensive mounds built around an area or settlement.

Siege The surrounding of a castle by an enemy army to prevent supplies from entering it and anyone inside from leaving it.

Siege engine A large weapon, such as a battering ram, trebuchet or mangonel, used to attack a castle.

Siege tower A wooden tower on wheels, which attackers used to climb over castle walls during a siege.

Spur A sharp point fitted to a rider’s heel, used to make a horse gallop faster.

Squire A young nobleman who acted as personal servant to a knight. He rode into battle with his master bearing his weapons. When his training, including learning how to fight, was complete he was ready to become a knight.

Steward An official in charge of running the castle’s supplies, servants and finances.

Tournament An event where knights showed off their military and fighting skills at jousting, melees or other mock battles.

Tourney A mock battle for knights.

Trebuchet A giant catapult that hurled missiles such as rocks, dead animals or even human heads into a castle during an attack. It was powered by using heavy weights.

Turret A small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a castle.

Undermining Digging beneath the foundations of a building to make it collapse.

Consultant: Philip Parker