Barbicans

Barbican, plural barbicans, is a fortified outwork or gateway at the entrance of a castle, fortress, or walled town. It represents an outer line of defense designed to slow, screen, and expose attackers before they can reach the main gate.

A barbican may be a separate structure or an integrated gatehouse. It often comprises one or more gates, a courtyard or enclosed passage, and sometimes a forebuilding connected by a bridge over a ditch or moat. Defensive features commonly include towers, arrow slits, portcullises, and various openings for defenders to attack intruders from above or the sides. The arrangement creates multiple obstacles and lines of fire that complicate assault on the principal gate.

Function: The barbican serves to delay attackers, control access to the inner works, and provide positions for defenders to cover the approaches. It can also act as a staging area for sorties or to funnel attackers into kill zones created by the inner gate and curtain wall.

Types and scope: Barbicans occur in many medieval castles and town walls. They can be detached outer works or closely linked to the gatehouse; sometimes they form an outer ward separated from the main defenses by a ditch or moat. The concept has also influenced modern architectural usage in describing gatehouses and exterior defensive features.

Etymology and usage: The word barbican derives from medieval European forms of uncertain origin, often linked to Old French or Italian terms for a gatehouse. In place names, the term Barbican denotes areas or structures that preserve the memory of such defensive features, most notably the Barbican district in London.