A castle’s entrance can be the weakest point of its defence, so special attention was generally paid to fortifying these key features. In fact, much of the military technology used to protect entry points dates back as early as the 3rd century B.C.

Elements of castle entrances - which features appear at Malbork Castle? Sourced from The Medieval Fortress by Kaufmann and Kaufmann.

In castle building, the first towers ever raised were constructed to provide protection for gatehouses. These were also one of the first features to make the transition from being built out of wood to being made out of stone.

Sample cross-section of a castle entrance layout - Sourced from The Medieval Fortress by Kaufmann and Kaufmann.

Castle entrances generally incorporate several defensive techniques, including fortified doorways, drawbridges, and portcullises.

All six of our Battle Castles have entrances by necessity - but they each showcase different defensive features and strategies. Which one is the best?

To see the Entrances at these castles, check out our blog Castle Features #7 - Entrances

-The Gatekeeper

@TheGatekeep