This is probably one of the reasons why Bodiam castle was built.
THE RIVER ROTHER
Bodiam castle was built near a river Rother because: firstly the river Rother was wider than it is today, hence French sailors would sail across the river and kill the English. In order to defend him self and his people from the French sailors sir Dalyngrige the built Bodiam castle.
The picture below shows how river Rother was in 1588.
THE PILL BOX
The pillbox shows the significant of Bodiam castle it was built in 1939during the Second World War as a protection against the Germany. (This was not one of the reason why Bodiam castle was built but this shows Bodiam castle’s significance)
ATTACKERS TACTICS
If an enemy wanted to attack a Castles he had to decide what the castles' weak points were and which siege weapons would be the most effective. The attackers had to know the castles weak points. The attackers would come with different types of simple weapons such as: scaling ladders, siege towers, trebuchet, mango Ned etc.
Bodiam castle had to built with a special architecture to avoid the attackers from using the above-mentioned reasons. The castle had different types of defensive features, which prove that Bodiam castle was built as a defensive feature against a possible French inversion.
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The picture shows some of the tactics used to attack a castle.
In order to avoid this Bodiam castle had massive defensive features, which prove that Bodiam castle was built as a defensive feature. The following are some of the defensive features found at Bodiam castle:
THE MOAT
Knowing that attackers had there own tactics of fighting such as using: scaling ladders, siege towers, trebuchet, mango Ned and under mining. Bodiam castle had a river 6 ft deep river that surrounded the castle. The river also provided a sewer system. If attackers thought of using tactics such as: scaling ladders, siege towers, trebuchet, and mango the field to get past the moat cause the weapons were very heavy to cross the river.
THE MAIN ENTRANCE
Bodiam castle’s main entrance design is specifically for attackers start on the bank they had to cross the long bridge in front of the castle this led to a small octagon island where they turned through ninety degrees to face the castle directly. This enabled the defending soldiers to have an open shoot at the attackers using a method known as cross fighting. However if the attackers managed to proceed their approach was protected by a barbican (an outer gate house).
THE BARBICAN
This was a guardhouse strictly or heavily guarded by soldiers, it also had a portcullis to trap enemies. Only having passed through the barbican could the attackers proceed to the castles main gate. But before they reached or entered the main gate, on top of the castle where machicolations.
THE MAIN GATE
The main gate had all the paraphernalia of military e.g. mighty oak doors, portcullis (three of them) and murder holes. The main was strictly guarded my soldiers using both arrows and guns. If attackers managed to get pass the main gate, there was a place called the killing ground. The picture bellow shows a portcullis at Bodiam castles main gate.
THE KILLING GROUND
If attackers managed to get pass the through the main gate there was a small passage leading to what is known as the killing ground. In the killing ground on top where were murder holes. The murder holes were also used like machicolations except machicolations had bigger holes. Two portcullises also protected the killing ground.
