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TimeRef.com
  • Episodes
    Episode Index
    Key Dates Timelines
    By Category
    This day in history
  • People
    A..Z List of Medieval People
    Kings and Queens of England Kings of Scotland Kings of France Kings of Denmark Emporers of Byzantine Popes and Antipopes Crusader States and their Rulers
    Family Trees
  • Life
    Life in Medieval Times
    Life in a Castle The Feudal System Country Life and Agriculture Life in a Medieval Town Life in a Religious Community
  • Castles
    Castle Index Page Castle Development
    Early Fortifications Motte and bailey Castles Square Keeps Castle of William the Conqueror Concentric Castles Castles of Edward I
    Castle Siege Tactics Parts of a Castle
    Locations of over 300 Castles
  • Places
    A..Z list of Medieval Buildings 3D Virtual Reconstructions Maps Photographs
    Abbeys and Monasteries Cathedrals Medieval Architecture
  • 3D/VR
    3D Virtual Reconstructions VR Experiences
    Virtual Motte and Bailey Castle Virtual Norman Keep Virtual Siege Engines
    Etal Castle Skenfrith Castle Middleham Castle
    Knights Training
  • More
    Glossary of Terms
    Games Early Access
    Copyright / About TimeRef.com Contact the Author
  1. Home
  2. Medieval Castles
  3. Parts of a castle
  4. Hoardings
Curtain Walls
Curtain Walls
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Hoardings

A development of the design of the battlements at the top of curtain walls or towers was the inclusion of hoardings. They consisted of wooden structures that extended out over the walls. This gave more protection to the defenders on the walls and allowed the defenders to better protect the walls.

The diagram shows a hoarding located at the top of a curtain wall with sections cut away. The walls were designed to accomodated hoardings by either having holes through which the main beams or corbels which supported the beams on either side of the wall. The hoarding provided a platform that extended out beyond the wall on which the defenders could stand. Similar to the battlements, hoardings had embrasures, or holes through which the archers could shoot.

A gap in the floor of the hoardings allowed the defenders to drop missiles on top of any attacker at the base of the wall. Some curtain walls had plinths, an angled section at the base of the wall. Any missiles dropped on the plinth would be deflected away from the base of the wall and injure unlucky attackers some distance away.

Hoardings may have been a permanent fixture or could have just been constructed at times of conflict.

Explore a virtual siege

Explore a landscape showing different kinds of siege engine, including the trebuchet, siege tower and battering ram.

More castle pages

  • Castle Index Page
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Pages in this section

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  • Tower of London plans and 3d model
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  • Hedingham Castle floor plans
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  • Timeline of Square Keep construction
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Types of castles

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  • Castles of William the Conqueror
  • Keep and bailey castles
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  • Concentric Castles

Other details

  • Castles of Edward I
  • Medieval Castle Builders
  • Medieval Siege Tactics
  • The Trebuchet
  • Siege Towers
  • Parts of a castle
  • Location of 300+ UK castles
  • Location by UK county

Medieval Castles

  • Why build and live in castles
  • Castle development timeline

Types of castles

  • Early Fortifications
  • Castles of William the Conqueror
  • Earthwork castles
  • Motte and bailey castles
  • Square keeps
  • Shell-Keeps
  • Polygonal Keeps
  • Concentric Castles

Other details

  • Castles of Edward I
  • Medieval Castle Builders
  • Medieval Siege Tactics
  • The Trebuchet
  • Siege Towers
  • Parts of a castle
  • Location of 300+ UK castles
  • Location by UK county
3D/VR

Virtual Buildings

Transport yourself back up to a thousand years and explore historical buildings as they may have appeared in the past.

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