A turret (from Italian: torretta, little tower; Latin: turris, tower) is a small tower that extends vertically from a building's wall, such as a medieval castle. They were often used as lookouts over open fields or towns, or to provide defensive fire-support within fortified areas.
Turrets can be found on many different types of buildings, including castles, forts, and monasteries. They are most common on military fortifications and towers built before the introduction of gunpowder weapons. On modern buildings they are usually called "bells" or "cupolas".
The word comes from Turkish türküt meaning 'little tower', which in turn comes from Arabic طورى tūrī meaning 'to rise up'. The term applies both to the complete structure, as well as to the part that rises above the wall.
In English, they are sometimes referred to as "crenellations", after their distinctive, jagged appearance when viewed from below.
They are an important element in the defence of castles because they offer cover for fighting from a high vantage point, where an attacker would be less likely to shoot at the approaching enemy.
A Guide to Castle Turrets Turrets are often situated on the corners of towers or at the point where two walls meet, although they can also be found midway along curtain walls. They serve several purposes: protection against attacks from above, deterrence through their appearance, and communication with other turrets or with guards below.
There are three main types of turrets: keep, don't care and battery. Keep turrets are the most important because they provide the defender with the best view of the approach to the castle. They are usually located on the highest points available within the fortress walls. Their name comes from the fact that they protect the "keep" - a room where a commander could take refuge during an attack.
Keeps were not always included in castles but instead used to be separate buildings called "mansions". With time these buildings evolved into turrets and became more sophisticated. Today they are usually triangular structures with rounded corners, designed to deflect arrows and bullets.
In medieval times there was not much technology available for defense systems so defenders had to rely on their physical defenses like the tower shield or just sit it out until attackers went away. As time passed people started to build up weapons technology which led to the development of new types of turrets. Keeps began to be installed inside large stone walls instead of being placed on top.
A large inner tower in a medieval castle—see image of castle. The word comes from the French for "young woman" (donna) + -on. In English, we sometimes call these towers "watchtowers" or "wardtowers."
They were usually located at the corner of a bailey, where they could provide protection for soldiers stationed there. They were also used as living quarters and storage facilities. Donjons were built to be as defensible as possible, with their thick stone walls and high towers. They often served as keepers' houses when castles were first constructed or rebuilt.
Donjons are found in many other buildings too; for example, they are part of the name of some restaurants (e.g., Donn's Inn). The term isn't very common anymore but it still appears in some place names like Doncaster and Dover.
The Origins A castle, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is "a massive edifice, generally of the medieval period, fortified against attack with strong walls, battlements, towers, and frequently a moat." Although many castles were built between the 11th and 14th centuries, they were mainly used by kings as their residences. Those who ruled in name only had them constructed as symbols of their power.
Their construction began around 1000 AD with the first being built by the Saxons. They were used primarily as military fortifications but some were also used as royal palaces. During the 12th century, French and Scottish kings acquired lots of new castles to impress their subjects. By the end of that century, nearly every king in Europe had a castle.
In the 13th century, war machines called cannon were invented by Europeans. This new type of weapon could shoot balls made of metal or stone that were very hard to penetrate into armor. These guns were so powerful that they could destroy a castle wall with one shot. After this incident, more solid buildings were built instead. However, most castles still have their original structures intact today.
Today, almost all castles across the world are either museums or belong to other types of organizations. However, there are still dozens of castles in Europe that visitors can see.
A curtain wall is a defensive wall that exists between two towers (bastions) of a castle, fortress, or town. The word comes from the Italian word for curtain, portale, which describes the wall's function as a gate between the inner and outer defenses of the castle.
These walls usually have an exterior face made of stone or brick, but may also be faced with wood or even clay if the territory is not very important for defense. The interior of the wall often has a cavity in it where trees or bushes can grow if natural resources are nearby or there may even be rooms inside the wall. Some castles had their own farms outside the main gate where crops such as wheat and barley were grown to supply food for the garrison living within the castle.
There are several types of curtain walls including: thick stone walls covered with earth inside the fortifications; thin-skinned masonry walls topped with earth or rubble; wooden palisades surrounded by a ditch filled with water or sand; and clay walls protected by timber stockades.
Castle walls served three purposes: they provided defense against attacks, they separated one area of the castle from another, and they supplied a source of fuel for fires needed to signal enemies or alert people to danger.
A medieval castle tower was crucial in the castle elements utilized for defense. Castle towers in medieval times came in a range of forms and had a number of functions. Although their primary use was defense, these towers may also be used for storage and confinement.
Towers were often built into the curtain walls of a castle to provide defenders with good views and advanced warning of an attack. They could also be found at key points within the interior of the castle to act as defensive positions. Many towers had their own weapons systems for self-defense if needed. These might include heavy guns for shooting arrows or stones, or even small cannon.
Some tower houses the late 14th century incorporated gun loops. These are holes drilled in the wall of the tower house where guns could be mounted for defense. The first known written reference to such towers is in 1338 when they are mentioned by name in letters written by King Edward II of England.
Bolingbroke Castle, classified as a "enclosure" castle, is a great example of 13th-century architectural architecture. Curtain walls with towers encircling a courtyard characterize such castles. The south-west tower, now known as the King's Tower, was erected on an octagonal layout between 1444 and 1456. It has eight sides, each about 20 feet high, with an oriel window on each floor. There are also two other smaller towers and a gatehouse.
Inside the enclosure, there are three large quadrangles or baileys. The largest is called the Great Hall because that's where the king would have held court before he entered through the main door into the enceinte. This hall had wooden floors, stone walls, and a thatched roof. There were also three other smaller halls: one for dining rooms, one for living quarters, and one for religious services. In addition to the main entrance, there were five other postern gates around the perimeter of the enceinte; these were used by servants who carried food into the castle or waste out of it. One of these was located in each corner of the enceinte and another near the main entrance.
The castle was built for Edward II (reigned 1307-1327) but never occupied by him.
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