Where Did Castle Inhabitants Go During an Attack? The Keep

When a medieval castle came under siege, the garrison and residents didn't flee—they retreated inward through concentric defenses to the strongest, most provisioned point: the keep (donjon).

Layered Defense: Defense in Depth

1. Outer perimeter: Moat, palisade, curtain wall, gatehouse (portcullis, murder holes, drawbridge)
2. Outer bailey/ward: Stables, workshops, barracks, livestock — sacrificed if necessary
3. Inner curtain wall: Higher, thicker, flanked by mural towers
4. Inner bailey: Great hall, chapel, kitchen, well, high-status housing
5. THE KEEP (donjon, great tower): Final redoubt — thickest walls, fewest openings, own water/food, last stand

The Keep: Design for Survival

• Walls: 3–7 m (10–23 ft) thick; often with internal passages/murder holes
• Entry: Single door at 2nd-floor level (accessed by removable wooden stairs/ladders)
• Water: Internal well or cistern — essential; no well = surrender inevitable
• Food: Grain, salted meat, cheese, ale stored in cellars
• Sanitation: Garderobes (chutes) or chamber pots
• Defense: Arrow loops, machicolations, roof fighting platform, sometimes own moat
• Psychology: Symbol of lord's authority; visible for miles

Types of Keeps

What Happened in the Keep During Siege?

• Crowding: Entire household + garrison (50–200+ people) in tight space
• Disease: Dysentery, typhoid from sanitation limits
• Fire risk: Attackers used incendiary arrows, Greek fire; defenders had water buckets
• Mining/counter-mining: Tunnels under walls; listening drums; underground combat
• Negotiation: Heralds, terms, hostages — most sieges ended by treaty, not storm
• Surrender: When water/food/ammunition exhausted; honorable terms often granted

Famous Last Stands

• Rochester Castle (1215) — King John undermined SE corner; defenders held opposite corner 7 weeks
• Château Gaillard (1204) — Philip Augustus took it via garderobe chute; "impregnable" fell
• Stirling Castle (1304) — Edward I's "Warwolf" trebuchet forced surrender

The keep was not a hiding place—it was a calculated final position. Castles were designed so that even if outer works fell, the keep could hold long enough for relief, negotiation, or honorable surrender. It was the physical embodiment of feudal obligation: the lord protects his people; they defend his stronghold.