A castle’s barbican is a fortified outpost or gateway that works as an outer defense perimeter or second barrier. In medieval times, the barbican was set in front of the main castle walls and connected to them through a neck. In many cases, barbicans formed part of a …

Portuguese medieval fortification nomenclature uses barbican ("barbacã") to describe any wall outside of and lower than the main defensive wall that forms a second barrier. The barrier may be complete, extensive or only protect particularly weak areas.

A castle barbican had central importance in the parts of a medieval castle which were used for defence purposes. Since it consisted of a narrow passage, the invading army passing through it was an easy target for arrows, stones, and other missiles in addition to boiling liquids.

Barbicans are defensive structures controlling access to a gateway. They are fortified outposts or gateways, typically forming the outer defence to a fortified city or castle, (The Barbican in London marks the site of a barbican defending an important entrance to the City of London)

Among the architectural elements of these massive fortresses, the barbican stands as a testament to medieval defensive ingenuity. This article delves deep into the world of the castle barbican, exploring its origins, design, and significance in medieval warfare.

The Barbican was a further development in the defensive design of a castle. Whereas the Gatehouse simply protected the entrance to the castle, the Barbican was designed to be a deathly obstacle course, preventing attackers from even reaching the gatehouse. The barbican was a thin, enclosed passageway that would have jutted out from the gatehouse.

A medieval castle barbican was a kind of fortified outpost that acted as the outer defence point for the castle often ahead of the castle main gatehouse. Medieval castle barbicans began to be constructed after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 and continued to be very important until the 15th century, after which they gradually lost their ...

The barbican was a thin, enclosed passageway that extended out in front of a gatehouse. The enclosed passageway funneled attackers through a series of dangers, like a portcullis gate, arrow loops, etc., only to have a second set of similar defenses to …

May 19, 2019 · The purpose of the barbican is to trap any attackers in a narrow space so that they can be picked off by the defenders in nearby towers and on the tops of the two walls forming the funnel. The photograph at the top of the post shows the …

Barbican. The barbican is an external defence and is often confused with the gatehouse. A barbican is a structure used to help defend the gatehouse. Usually consisting of towers and walls, the barbican sits in front of the gatehouse and creates an enclosed passageway between the two.