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This type of castle usually had one entrance defended by gatehouse.
As the gatehouse was the only way to enter the castle, it would have been
focused upon during an attack. During the construction of a castle the gatehouse was
usually the first part to be completed. This was because the castle builders were probably
building in an area where they were in danger of being attacked.
In earlier times the gatehouse may have been the strongest
part of the castle, but the majority of them were built of wood and at risk from
fire. If the owner of the castle was rich enough or there was a local
supply of rocks, the gatehouse could have been built of stone.
Most castles of this type had only one entrance and the defenders could easily find
themselves trapped if the single gatehouse was captured by attackers. To overcome this
problem some castles were built with more than one entrance. Most castles had a small hidden gate
called a postern. The postern allowed a single defender the means to escape and
raise the alarm if the castle was under attack, or allow a small band of soldiers to leave the castle
and mount a surprise attack.
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