The fortress guardhouse - Did you know?

The door, a strategic place to protect against all odds

Among the images of the Middle Ages, one in particular stands out: the image of the fortified castle. There were castles of all shapes and sizes, the most gigantic of which was undoubtedly that of Coucy in Picardy. But they were all united by a common goal: to protect, at all costs, the most vulnerable part of the castle: the gate. It's precisely above the castle gate that we find a military construction that serves to protect the entrance to a fortification: the guardhouse.

The Château d'Ainay guardhouse

The Château d'Ainay is fortunate to have preserved a well-preserved guardhouse. Its position within the castle is not insignificant: it's the most strategic point, located above theonly access to a fortified square. That's why the lord took every possible precaution to turn this weak point into the castle's strong point.

The configuration of the gate between two round towers, close to each other, remains the most effective defense formula. These gates were generally closed by two leaves (as at Ainay) secured by solid bars embedded in grooves in the masonry. From the 12th century onwards, they were defended by a portcullis (visible in the photograph), and sometimes by stunners - openings in the vaulting above the entrance through which projectiles of all kinds could be hurled. As the single door was easier to defend, it remained the norm until the 14th century.The second level also features corbelled stone brackets, reminiscent of the original "hourds", wooden galleries overhanging the walls, from which projectiles could be thrown at attackers. These were accessed by men through the opening seen on the second level. It was also from the second level that the soldiers on guard duty operated the drawbridge. The façade features "rabbets", large vertical slots in the masonry into which the arrows of the drawbridge were inserted. On the far left, the covered gallery allows soldiers to move more quickly and efficiently along the sentry walk. It should be noted that during the reign of Philippe Auguste, the height of the ramparts was raised to make attacks with ladders more difficult.

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  Exterior view of the guardrooms at Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil

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  Interior of the Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil guardhouse, the staircase

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  Interior of the Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil guardhouse

Two teams of soldiers to protect the most precious

Surveillance of the entrance gate was thus entrusted to two teams divided into two levels, in order to cleverly reduce the ever-present risk of betrayal. In practical terms, the guardhouse has two levels (the lower guardhouse, pictured here, and the upper guardhouse just above it).

The soldiers of the lower guard corps

Their essential role was to look after the harrow mechanism (reconstituted here) and to watch over the stunners (openings in the ground protected by wooden planks, through which all sorts of stinging, sticking, burning and piercing projectiles were thrown: stones, arrows, hot sand, pitch (a sticky, flammable substance obtained by distillation), pieces of wood). On the other hand, no oil was thrown, as it was far too expensive, and no water, which was too precious and very useful for extinguishing any fires. Excrement could also be thrown at the attackers, who were not above using trebuchets to spread disease! On the left is the chimney, useful for heating projectiles and providing a welcome source of light and warmth. In the mind of a medieval warrior, as long as the conflict is just and legitimate, all blows are permitted, even the lowest!

This long covered gallery on the parapet walk gave soldiers rapid access to the guardhouse in the event of an attack. With the new defense system introduced by Philippe Auguste in the 13th century, fortified castles were now actively defended, enabling soldiers to monitor and gain rapid access to the area to be defended.

The soldiers of the upper guard corps

They were in charge of the drawbridge mechanism and had access to the hourds (wooden galleries overhanging the walls, allowing projectiles to be thrown at attackers).

Obstacles were not only to be found outside the castle, they could also be found inside, such as the steep, narrow staircase on the left. Known as the "mouse-step staircase", it is difficult to progress upwards, not only because of the height of the steps, but also because of its narrowness, forcing men to use it in single file. These multiple obstacles prevent attackers from advancing rapidly into the castle. In this case, the aim was to defend the guardhouse.

How numerous were these soldiers?

No! In Normandy at the beginning of the 15th century, some fortified castles remained empty, with the exception of a captain whose presence was sometimes intermittent. The powerful Duke of Burgundy, Philippe le Hardi, kept only a dozen men per fortress in Artois. As a general rule, the garrison of a fortified castle consists of less than a dozen men.

In times of peace, the garrison in a castle is reduced, but in times of conflict, it increases significantly, leading to a significant increase in expenses for the lord. In the 14th century, a series of decrees issued by King Charles V stipulated a number of security rules to be respected, including the maintenance, guarding and defense of fortresses by lords. They also regulated the inspection of fortified sites, with the aim of having the condition of buildings assessed by master builders.

Who were the men responsible for guarding the lord's castle?

To ensure the permanent security of his castle, the lord called on his vassals to perform garrison duty: the ost. A military service of forty days spent in one of the lord's castles as part of the feudal-vassal service between a lord and his vassals. After forty days, the vassal could either return home or have his expenses paid by his suzerain. Considered too onerous, this guard duty was replaced by the payment of a sum of money: the écuage, which in the 13th century enabled the lord to recruit mercenaries.

These garrisoned vassals enjoyed privileges: the right to hunt on the lord's land for food, and to gather wood for heating. During cavalcades (military expeditions limited in time and men), it was the lord who provided his troops with weapons, ammunition and food. The lord was obliged to maintain his vassals. This maintenance could be carried out either at the castle, in which case the vassal would be "bachelier" (lodged in the castle), or through the granting of a fiefdom, in which case the vassal would be "chased". The lord's assistance to his vassal also includes military and legal support.

"No castle without a moat" could have been the slogan of the time. As seen here from the covered gallery near the entrance châtelet. In the Middle Ages, the forest was less extensive than it is today, so it's easy to imagine that the castle's surroundings had an unobstructed view to anticipate any possible attack. Note that this opening would have exposed the castle's soldiers too much in the event of an attack, so we can imagine that these were mainly observation and surveillance posts.

What was daily life like for a soldier garrisoned in a fortified castle?

Most of the day was spent in military training, but also in hunting, seen as training for war and the fight against idleness, as well as games such as cards, dice and chess.

Why visit the Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil guardhouse?

Because it is exceptionally well preserved and, in the end, gives us an idea not only of the defensive system in place, but also of how these men lived.

Why visit the Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil guardhouse?

Because it is exceptionally well preserved and, in the end, gives us an idea not only of the defensive system in place, but also of how these men lived.

Sources and bibliography

Jean - Pierre Babelon , " Les châteaux en France au siècle de la Renaissance " , 1989 , Flammarion.
Jean Guillaume , " L'invention de la Renaissance " , 2003, Picard.
Jean-Marie Pérouse de Montclos : " Histoire de l'architecture française " , 1989 , Mengès.
Olivier Mignon : " Architecture des châteaux de la Renaissance " , Editions Ouest France.