Editing Castle (section)

===Gatehouse===
{{Main|Gatehouse}}
[[File:001. Château de Châteaubriand.JPG|thumb|A 13th-century gatehouse in the [[château de Châteaubriant]], France. It connects the upper ward to the lower one.]]

The entrance was often the weakest part in a circuit of defences. To overcome this, the gatehouse was developed, allowing those inside the castle to control the flow of traffic. In earth and timber castles, the gateway was usually the first feature to be rebuilt in stone. The front of the gateway was a blind spot and to overcome this, projecting towers were added on each side of the gate in a style similar to that developed by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]].<ref>{{harvnb|Friar|2003|pp=124–125}}</ref> The gatehouse contained a series of defences to make a direct assault more difficult than battering down a simple gate. Typically, there were one or more [[portcullis]]es&nbsp;– a wooden grille reinforced with metal to block a passage&nbsp;– and arrowslits to allow defenders to harry the enemy. The passage through the gatehouse was lengthened to increase the amount of time an assailant had to spend under fire in a confined space and unable to retaliate.<ref>{{harvnb|Friar|2003|pp=126, 232}}</ref>

It is a popular myth that [[murder hole]]s&nbsp;– openings in the ceiling of the gateway passage&nbsp;– were used to pour boiling oil or molten lead on attackers; the price of oil and lead and the distance of the gatehouse from fires meant that this was impractical.<ref name="auto">{{harvnb|McNeill|1992|pp=98–99}}</ref> This method was, however, a common practice in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean castles and fortifications, where such resources were abundant.<ref name="imnara">{{cite journal|journal=L-Imnara |last=Jaccarini |first=C. J. |date=2002 |title=Il-Muxrabija, wirt l-Iżlam fil-Gżejjer Maltin |url=http://melitensiawth.com/incoming/Index/L-Imnara/L-Imnara.%2007(2002)1=26/05s.pdf |volume=7 |issue=1 |publisher=Rivista tal-Għaqda Maltija tal-Folklor |page=19 |language=mt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418035928/http://melitensiawth.com/incoming/Index/L-Imnara/L-Imnara.%2007%282002%291%3D26/05s.pdf |archive-date=18 April 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|journal=Vigilo|last=Azzopardi|first=Joe|date=April 2012|title=A Survey of the Maltese Muxrabijiet|url=http://dinlarthelwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/41_Final.pdf|publisher=[[Din l-Art Ħelwa]]|location=Valletta|issue=41|pages=26–33|issn=1026-132X|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115112647/http://dinlarthelwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/41_Final.pdf|archive-date=15 November 2015}}</ref> They were most likely used to drop objects on attackers, or to allow water to be poured on fires to extinguish them.<ref name="auto"/> Provision was made in the upper storey of the gatehouse for accommodation so the gate was never left undefended, although this arrangement later evolved to become more comfortable at the expense of defence.<ref>{{harvnb|Allen Brown|1976|p=64}}</ref>

During the 13th and 14th centuries the [[barbican]] was developed.<ref>{{harvnb|Friar|2003|p=25}}</ref> This consisted of a [[Rampart (fortification)|rampart]], ditch, and possibly a tower, in front of the gatehouse<ref>{{harvnb|McNeill|1992|p=101}}</ref> which could be used to further protect the entrance. The purpose of a barbican was not just to provide another line of defence but also to dictate the only approach to the gate.<ref>{{harvnb|Allen Brown|1976|p=68}}</ref>