Portcullis

A portcullis is a grille or gate made of wood, metal or a combination of the two.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege. Each portcullis was mounted in vertical grooves in castle walls and could be raised or lowered quickly by means of chains or ropes attached to an internal winch. There would often be two portcullises to the main entrance. The one closest to the inside would be closed first and then the one furthest away. This was used to trap the enemy and often, burning wood or hot oil would be poured onto them from the roof. Also, archers could shoot arrows at the trapped enemies.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Castle: :The article describes the fortified building. See also castle (disambiguation)...

Siege: For the Boston area punk band see Siege (band). For the James Mason book see Siege (book)...

Winch: A winch is a machine that is used to wind up a rope. In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached crank. More elaborate designs may have gear assemblies or electric drives. The braking is done by a Solenoid Brake and a mechanical brake....