Crenellation (or crenelation) is the name for the distinctive pattern that framed the tops of the walls of many medieval castles, often called battlements. Crenellation most commonly took the form of multiple, regular, rectangular spaces cut out of the top of the wall to allow defenders spaces to shoot arrows from and other spaces to hide behind full cover. The main gatehouse of Harlech Castle, Wales. ... A battlement, in defensive architecture such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i. ...

Ornamental crenellations on Taymouth Castle, Scotland, built 1810

The technical name for an opening in crenellations is embrasure or crenel, while the raised portions of the wall between them are called merlons. Crenellations would have been used originally on defensive walls built around a settlement (with or without a castle), but the modern experience of them is mainly their appearance on the towers and turrets of castles and mock-castles. They can also be seen in large numbers on the Great Wall of China. Taymouth Castle, Scotland. ... Taymouth Castle, Scotland. ... Categories: Fortification | Architectural elements | Stub ... A crenel (also spelled as crenelle and alternatively known as a carnel, embrasure, loop or wheeler) is an indentation in the battlements of a building. ... A merlon, in architecture, forms the solid part of an embattled parapet between the embrasures, sometimes pierced by loopholes. ... The Eiffel Tower Fire-observation watchtower in Kostroma, Russia. ... Turret (highlighted) attached to a tower on a baronial building in Scotland In architecture, a turret (from Italian: torretta, little tower; Latin: turris, tower) is a small tower that projects from the wall of a building, such as a medieval castle or baronial house. ... Location of the Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China (Simplified Chinese: 万里长城; Traditional Chinese: 萬里長城; Pinyin: Wànlĭ Chángchéng; literally 10,000 Li¹ long wall) is a Chinese fortification built from 3rd century BC until the beginning of the 17th century, in order to protect the various...

Crenellations are easy to build, and have been used to give a castle-like look to buildings for a long time, especially in baronial architecture. However, some have suggested that as an ornamental feature they may have a very long history, with a 'license to crenelate' being granted to the privileged. 'Real' crenellations for defensive use might be expected to have embrasures that are narrow and tall, to allow an archer to conceal his body for safety behind the merlons.

Ornamental crenellations are often evenly spaced and too small for practical archery. The size of ornamental crenellations is likely to be dictated by the scale of the building to which they are attached. The practical use of crenellations, and the idea that a castle could be defended at all, cannot long have survived the introduction of gunpowder and artillery. These arrows score as an inner 10, and a 9 Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. ... Smokeless powder Gunpowder, whether black powder or smokeless powder, is a substance that burns very rapidly, releasing gases that act as a propellant in firearms. ... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...

Crenellation is also called castellation. Some writers consider these terms to have slightly different meanings. (Example, on Ontario Architecture site: crenellation, castellation.)