What were spiral staircases used for in castles?

- Spiral staircases could be designed

so that defenders had the

advantage when fighting attackers.

.

Space-saving:

- Castles were often short on

space and spiral staircases were more compact than straight ones.

Observation:

- Some spiral staircases were built in towers and provided a way for sentries to keep an eye out for approaching enemies.

Escape:

- Secret spiral staircases were sometimes

used as a hidden passage for the castle's inhabitants to escape in case of attack.