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In stories, castles are magical places where princesses sleep for hundreds of years and knights ride off to fight dragons. But castles were real places, too. They were built to keep people safe from their enemies. Castles were built in places that were difficult for enemies to reach. Some were like islands, surrounded by water. Others were built on top of steep hills. Castles were made of stone, with thick walls, so they were too strong for enemies to break down. They were too steep and tall for soldiers to climb over. |
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On the highest point of a castle's walls, guards kept watch for enemy soldiers. Often these guards sheltered in sentry boxes.
At the first sign of attack, soldiers closed the big castle gates and ran to the top of the castle's walls. Here, there were holes that a soldier could shoot through with his bow or gun.
On the inside of the wall, the holes were wide enough for the soldier to move about while he took aim. On the outside, they were narrow. This protected him against the enemy soldiers who were shooting back.
The castle gates were well protected, too. Above the gates were places where the people inside could drop stones, hot water, and hot oil onto the soldiers trying to break in. Behind the gates, holes were built into the wall for soldiers to shoot through.
Hundreds of years ago, people and animals would shelter inside the walls of a castle in times of danger. Now, castles aren't used in that way, but they are still lots of fun to visit!
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