Gatehouse

History What it was

Every castle and walled town had to let people in and out, so the gate was its weak spot. Builders turned it into a small fortress of its own: a gatehouse, with towers on both sides of a long passage.

In a walled town, the gatehouse also controlled trade. Carts of goods paid a toll at the gate, and the gates were shut at night.

History How it worked

A gatehouse had layers of defense. A drawbridge could be raised over the ditch. Behind it, a portcullis, a heavy grille of wood and iron, slid down in grooves in the walls. Behind that were thick wooden doors. Some gatehouses had openings in the ceiling of the passage so defenders could drop things on attackers.

Bodiam Castle in England, built in the 1380s, still has an original wooden portcullis, one of the oldest in the country.

History Town gates

Many towns had several gates, each named after the road or town it led to. The Holstentor in Lübeck, Germany, finished in 1478, became a symbol of the city. In Carcassonne, France, the double ring of walls still has its gates and 52 towers.

Think about it

1. Why have several defenses one behind another instead of one strong door?
2. Why would a town shut its gates at night?
3. Where do people pay a toll today?

Key words

Portcullis

A heavy grille that slides down to block a gateway.

Drawbridge

A bridge that can be raised.

Toll

A fee paid to use a road, bridge or gate.