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As part of your study of the Middle Ages, for the next few days you will be using Google SketchUp to build a castle. Before you get started you need to know about some of the basic parts of a castle and some design features you may want to incorporate into your castle.

Every Medieval castle was uniquely built depending on many factors. Over the centuries technologies and abilities changed and this affected how the castle was built and what materials were used. Other factors that affected the floor plan of a castle were the terrain it was built on, the surrounding landscape, the number of people it would support and the wealth of the Nobles or Royalty who were building it. But even with all these variations there was one thing that all Castle Floor Plans had in common. They were all designed with life or death in mind. A castle was a place of maximum safety and this was the rule that they all followed. (@http://medievalcastles.stormthecastle.com/castle-floor-plans.htm)

You must include the following features in your castle: The walls often included towers that could be used to watch for attackers, and window-like slits that archers could fire from. Sometimes the towers were open at the back, so that if attackers did manage to gain entry, they couldn't safely use the towers to fire into the castle.
 * Moat** -pit around the castle, often filled with water.
 * Drawbridge** -a heavy timber platform between the gatehouse and surrounding land that could be raised to protect the door. There is also a turning bridge that pivoted in the middle to prevent entrance.
 * Main Gate** - Structure consisting of two large towers that support the gate. They were often large enough to house a standing guard and are considered the strongest defensive positions in the castle.
 * Walls** -The walls of castles were very thick, often made from up to 20 feet of stone. They were strong enough to provide protection from battering rams and catapults. They include a lowered walkway at the top, from which defenders could fire at the enemy. Walls which surrounded the castle completely were called //curtain walls//; sometimes there were two of them, one inside the other.
 * Tower** -a square or round structure built as part of the wall. (**Turret** - small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle.)
 * Keep** -the central most defensible part of a castle, where the defenders could make a last stand. It is generally the largest and tallest structure to allow visibility of the surrounding area. Living quarters are located here (kitchen, dining hall, chapel, main hall).
 * Crenelations** -top of a wall or tower that has lower sections (crenels) for the purpose of giving a castle defender a position to fight or fire through. This protective stonework is the classic outline of the top of a castle wall.
 * Bailey** - the inner courtyard of a castle. Often contained gardens, stables.
 * Portcullis** -a heavy grilled door that dropped vertically down through slots or guides, and most often protected the main entrance of the castle. It could be made of many different materials, but almost all were made of oak, then plated with iron. On the bottom were spikes. The raising of the heavy portcullis was sometimes assisted with counter weights, pulleys, and rope.


 * [[image:220px-Turret_(architecture)_1.jpg width="136" height="265" align="center" caption="turret"]] || [[image:cren.jpg width="402" height="159"]] || [[image:carlisle_castle_portcullis_275.jpg caption="portcullis"]] ||