Castle Floor Plans

Castles always evoke a sense of awe and romanticism in the eyes of the one who is watching it and seem to bewitch the beholder but the purpose that the castle served was not romantic, it served to defend the dynasties and the ones who planned an attack on these castles had to toil day and night to make a successful plan. Today defeating all the causes that the castle upheld once we have Castle floor designs that are elegant and aesthetic apart besides having all the modern conveniences and amenities. There is a very unique mix of luxury and function in case of castle floor plan designs.

Castle Floor Plans differed from one castle to the other and the difference was based on several factors like the terrain, the availability of materials, the number of people who are going to be there in it and wealth of the ruler building it. The plan of the castle Floor began with the minutest details like the front doors of the castle. Whatever the castle floor plan was, it had life and death in the background since this was the last place of refuge. A castle always believed in concentric defense system, which meant that first there, would be the outer wall, then the inner wall and finally the center or the main tower of the castle.

To reach the outer gate there was a moat that had to be crossed. He defenders built a drawbridge, which was the main positive point of a castle floor plan. The drawbridge was angled on the end that was nearest to the gate and when all the supports were removed from the base of the drawbridge, the burdened end dropped down and the lighter end rose into the air leaving nothing for the attacking force to utilize as a bridge and cross the moat.

Important Aspects of Castle Floor Plan

• The towers were located at certain points at regular intervals to provide better visibility and there also used to be a walkway between the inner and outer towers.
• There were designs called arrow loops, which were slits in a stonewall which were narrow for a man to climb through though allowed one archer to stand concealed in the slit. The archer could shoot in both the direction without exposing himself.
• Building a castle was to provide maximum security to the residents of the castle, which was achieved. It completely closed itself and sustained people for long periods of time. At times the opposing forces surrounded the whole castle so that neither food nor people can move in or out of the castle.
• Castles plans show that the main tower of the castle consisted of many storage rooms where supplies for days and months and even years could be kept.
• The keep or the main tower of the castle was the last line of defense for the people inside the castle. Castle Floor Plans only showed the first few floors of the keep; in reality the keep had underground chambers as well.
• Besides security, castle floor plans also ensured the comfort of their lords and ladies who resided there. There were communal feasts and celebrations.

These castle floor plans never overlooked the actual purpose of the castle. They made it habitable by providing a healthy living condition but at the same time ensured the safety of people.