Medieval castle murder holes were simple yet highly effective defensive features, strategically placed in the most vulnerable parts of a fortress—most often above the main entrance or gatehouse. These openings, built into the ceilings of passageways or gatehouse chambers, allowed defenders to drop rocks, boiling water, oil, or other deadly projectiles onto intruders below. Murder holes were especially common in gatehouses, where they provided a critical layer of protection during an attack. As a key part of medieval castle defense systems, murder holes played a vital role in repelling enemies and securing the castle’s entry points.
machicolations were also built around castle walls, machicolations were not technically murder holes but served a similar purpose, built to give castle defenders a better position to pour boiling liquids and rocks onto besieging soldiers. Machicolations were made of wood initially, later stone machicolations were either added to a castle’s outer walls (curtain walls) or built into the design of new castles.
For simplicity, we will also refer to machicolations as murder holes for the rest of this article.
Murder holes jutted out from the castle wall and above the enemy thanks to the addition of the machicolations. The guards and soldiers inside the medieval castles dropped heavy stones and hot liquids such as oil, boiling water, and even hot sand on the enemy as they attacked the castle.
Murder Holes & Machicolations
Murder holes were commonly added to the towers and walls of a castle, around a castle’s main entrance, and in Gatehouse passages. When boiling liquids and rocks were thrown from the tops of castle walls they often hit the castle’s own walls to overcome this problem machicolations were added or built into new castle designs.
Machicolations created a platform that jutted out from the castle wall and gave murder holes a better positioning, aim, and result. Machicolations were made from wood initially but were later made from stone and considered so important after their introduction that they were incorporated into the actual design of future castles.
Murder Holes in Gatehouses
Murder holes were essential elements of a medieval gatehouse as the gatehouse was built to protect the entrance of the castle from enemy attack as it was traditionally the most vulnerable part of the medieval castle.
Murder holes were built around the inner entrance and along the Gatehouses passageways, some gatehouses had very long passages and there would have been murder holes all along the gatehouse passage. The enemy could often be trapped in the gatehouse passages and this would be a perfect time to pour hot liquids such as boiling water, oil, and tar through the murder holes.
Gatehouses to walled medieval cities and towns would also contain murder holes.
Castle Murder Holes Fast Facts
- Meurtrière is a French term for Murder hole
- Boiling water, hot oil, and tar were poured through murder holes
- Murder holes were commonly placed around the entrance of a castle and in Gatehouse passages
- Machicolations helped the creation of more effective murders holes in better positions in a castles curtain walls
- Rotting animals and even human excrement could be dropped through murder holes!
We hope that you found this article on medieval murder holes factual and informative, please see our other articles in the castle parts section of this website. The articles on medieval Machicolations and Gatehouses will give you a better understanding and all-around knowledge of Castle murder holes.
