What is a Turret?
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The word ‘turret’ may instantly help you relate to images of beautiful and ancient medieval castles! Turrets are miniature tower-like structures that were constructed as projections from the edge of a castle or tower. Thus, turrets are naturally smaller than towers and their weight is absorbed by the main castle building on which they stand.
The medieval fortresses or castles were majorly owned by kings, Norman lords, and the nobles. A castle gave adequate protection to the wealthy and the powerful. The rulers of the lands also gave permission to the lawmakers and army generals to stay in these castles to keep peace in the surrounding lands.
What is the difference between a tower and a turret?
The turret is a type of small tower, circular or square in shape usually situated at the corner of the castle. Towers may start from the ground but turrets are typically attached to a larger structure, like a fortress or a castle, on the ground level.
Why do castles have turrets?
Medieval period castle turrets and building fortifications were essentially built of stones so as to safeguard from enemy invasions and watch-out for army squads. The turret construction was designed near the top of the building wall. Turrets had a curved design for helping people inside the castle to watch and view the neighbouring lands at an angle of 360 degrees.
There were tiny slits that served as windows to aim weapons at the enemies or shoot arrows at them. Turrets were considered as a superior and strategic place to hide and look out for enemies in times of war.
However slowly towards the end of the medieval period, the warfare tactics changed, cannons and guns were being used instead of arrows. Kings and warriors had less use for defensive turret constructions and they stopped building turrets. You may find numerous turret enhanced structures and towers in France, Scotland, and England.
Castle turrets in medieval age served multiple purposes
- The main purpose of a turret was as an advantageous lookout point
- Many weapons and ammunition were stored inside the turret
- Castle turrets are typically small in size than castle towers
- Castle towers are not free-standing structures, they need the support of the main building
- Used as a 360-degree view angle watchtower
- Built high on the hilly areas to give soldiers a fabulous view for many miles
- A castle turret gave the guards an advanced notice of an impending attack on the castle
- This high advantage viewpoint gave the lords, kings, and soldiers some breathing space to prepare for an enemy attack or siege
- The turret helped the kings and army generals to take adequate safety measures while leaving the castle
- A typical medieval castle was built with a turret and tower
Different Types of Turret Designs
Castle turrets are also known as small towers like an added structure that was vertically designed to rest on the main castle structure. There were different types of turrets built during medieval times. A Bartizan was a smallish turret built at the corner of a towering wall.
It was usually placed at the top or located at the highest building point. A raised turret was known as a Belvedere, it resembled a pavilion. A Squinch Arch turret was built like an arch built at an angle that doesn’t touch the ground. The Bartizan style turrets were built during the early 14th century period and such models were popular till the late 16th century in France and Spain.
Some very renowned turret fortifications built during the medieval period
- The famous triple-turret Eagle Tower at the Castle Caernarfon is a historic Welsh tourist attraction landmark.
- The Balhousie Castle turrets in Perth, Scotland
- Beautiful corbelled corner designed turrets at the Newark Castle in Port Glasgow
- Bartizan turrets at Belem Tower
When turrets were not needed for warfare purposes, they were used as decorative spaces. The arrow slits were changed into large windows. Renovations were planned and executed carefully due to their peculiar structure. Turrets gained prominence again in the 18th century as a Victorian architecture model.
Palaces or buildings with turrets became popular in England and America in the late 18thcentury. The affluent section of the society built mega large houses like miniature castles and turrets were an important aspect of the building design.
