A tower or advanced work defending the entrance to a castle or city, as at a gate or bridge. It was often large and strong, having a ditch and drawbridge of its own.

Outworks, especially in front of a gate. A heavily fortified gate or tower.

The gateway or outerworks defending the drawbridge to a castle.

An outwork or forward extension of a castle gateway. (Gies, Joseph and Francis. Life in a Medieval Castle, 225) Outerwork of a castle, providing additional defence for the gatehouse. Also used to describe the strategy developed by the English in the late fourteenth century. (Prestwich, Michael. Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience, 347) Related terms: Castle

An approach to a town or castle which is defended by a field of fire from one or more towers, generally two. The barbican itself, an outcropping from the gatehouse, allowed approach to the gate only through a narrow, easily defended passage.

Outwork defending the entrance to castle

A passage to the entrance of a castle that projects forward of the main curtain wall, with walls to either side.

Lewes, England (GillB) Double gatehouse outside the moat defending the drawbridge and inner gatehouse. It added strength to a potential weak point, confining invading enemy to a narrow front in the open. Sometimes it contained passages with a maze of twists and turns to confuse invading soldiers.

Towers or outworks defending a gateway.

exterior defence protecting an entrance

an outer defensive work, including its walls and courtyard; especially a tower at a gate or bridge.

Advanced fortification work protecting the gateway of a city or castle.

Additional defenses in front of a gatehouse whose purpose was to restrict access to the main gate. Often contained drawbridges and parapets from which defenders could shoot down into the roadway.

a tower that is part of a defensive structure (such as a castle)

a forward defensible structure in front of the main part of a castle

a special defensive construction, roughly appearing like an arch or bridge, through which a party must pass to reach the interior of the stronghold

a tower or other fortification defending the drawbridge, usually the gateway

a tower or outwork built to defend the entry to a castle or fortification

a watchtower projecting from a fortified place and the architects of this community may have been trying to live up to the name when they created the centre's formidable defences against the outside world

the outer defensive works which protects the main entrance of a castle or town gates etc.

The gateway or outworks defending the drawbridge.

An outer defensive work, usually located in front of a castles gate.

Outer defences of a castle. Normally a double tower over a bridge or gate

A fortified extension of a gateway to provide protection against attack.

A tower or fortification that protects the gate or drawbridge of a castle. The two barbicans shown here are from Lewes Castle (on the top) and Scarborough Castle (bottom).

A barbican (from mediæval Latin barbecana) is a fortified outpost or gateway, such as an outer defence to a city or castle, or any tower situated over a gate or bridge which was used for defensive purposes. Usually barbicans were situated outside the main line of defences and connected to the city walls with a walled road called the neck.