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Portcullis
 
 
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A portcullis is a latticed grille
Grille

A grille is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out....
 or gate
Gate

A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or an opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative....
 made of wood, metal or a combination of the two. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castle
Castle

A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress in that it describes a residence of a monarch or noble and commands a specific defensive territor...
s, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege
Siege

A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by Battle of attrition and/or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit." A siege occurs when an attacker encounters a city or fortress that cannot be easily taken by a coup de main and refuses to surrender ....
. Each portcullis was mounted in vertical grooves in castle walls and could be raised or lowered quickly by means of chain
Chain

In most meanings chain is a sequence of connected links of some kind.Chain may refer to:* A physical, literal chain* Chain , unit of length...
s or rope
Rope

A rope is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength ....
s attached to an internal winch
Winch

A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank ....
.

There would often be two portcullises to the main entrance
Entrance

Entrance generally refers to the place of entering like a gate or door, or the permission to do so.Entrance may also refer to:* Entrance , a login manager for the X window manager....
.






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Porte
A portcullis is a latticed grille
Grille

A grille is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out....
 or gate
Gate

A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or an opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative....
 made of wood, metal or a combination of the two. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castle
Castle

A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress in that it describes a residence of a monarch or noble and commands a specific defensive territor...
s, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege
Siege

A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by Battle of attrition and/or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit." A siege occurs when an attacker encounters a city or fortress that cannot be easily taken by a coup de main and refuses to surrender ....
. Each portcullis was mounted in vertical grooves in castle walls and could be raised or lowered quickly by means of chain
Chain

In most meanings chain is a sequence of connected links of some kind.Chain may refer to:* A physical, literal chain* Chain , unit of length...
s or rope
Rope

A rope is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength ....
s attached to an internal winch
Winch

A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank ....
.

There would often be two portcullises to the main entrance
Entrance

Entrance generally refers to the place of entering like a gate or door, or the permission to do so.Entrance may also refer to:* Entrance , a login manager for the X window manager....
. The one closest to the inside would be closed first and then the one furthest away. This was used to trap the enemy and often, burning wood
Wood

Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc....
 would be dropped onto them from the roof. Pouring hot oil
Oil

An oil is a chemical substance that is in a viscosity liquid state at room temperature or slightly warmer, and is both hydrophobic and lipophilic ....
 is a myth; it was far too valuable and rare at the time to waste as such. There were often 'arrow slits'
Balistraria

A balistraria is a thin vertical aperture in a fortification through which an archery can launch arrows largely free from personal danger.The interior walls behind an arrow loop are often cut away at an oblique angle so that the archer has a wide field of view and field of fire....
 in the sides of the walls, enabling archers and crossbowmen to eliminate the trapped group of attackers.

Theatre

By analogy to the gates, a portcullis is also the name given to a device used for quick change or scene
Scene

Scene may refer to:...
s in theatrical
Theatre

Theatre is the branch of the performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one or more actor, isolated in time and/or Theater , present themselves to Audience." By this broad definition, theatre has existed since the dawn of man, as a result of human tendency for story telling....
 stagecraft
Stagecraft

File:Robert Edmond Jones.jpgStagecraft is a generic term referring to the technical aspects of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes, but is not limited to, constructing and rigging scenery, hanging and focusing of lighting, design and procurement of costumes, makeup, procurement of theatrical properties and recording and mixin...
. The painted scene is attached to a grille, which then is made to appear in the stage, by moving it with a winch.

Heraldry

The portcullis often appears as a device or emblem in heraldry
Heraldry

Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of devising, granting, and blazoning Coat of arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms....
, such as that employed as the symbol for the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, in London, is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom meet....
 in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
. One example of where a portcullis is found is on a UK one penny coin
British One Penny coin

The United Kingdom decimal one penny coin, produced by the Royal Mint, was issued on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was Decimal Day....
, and another on the crest of the now defunct Customs and Excise
Customs and Excise

Customs and Excise refers to customs duty and excise duty. In certain countries, the national tax authorities that are responsible for collecting those duties are named Customs and Excise, including:...
. The coat of arms of Canberra
Coat of arms of Canberra

The Coat of Arms of the Canberra was created by the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs and Territories in 1927, in response to a request by the Commonwealth Department of Defence, who wanted to use it on the newly commissioned HMAS Canberra....
 features a portcullis on the crest, symbolizing Parliament
Parliament of Australia

The Parliament of Australia or Commonwealth Parliament is the legislature of government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster System, but with some influences from the United States Congress....
. Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary
Portcullis Pursuivant

Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior Officer of Arms at the College of Arms in London. The office is named after the Portcullis chained Or Heraldic badge of the Beauforts, which was a favourite device of King Henry VII....
 is also one of the officers of arms
Officer of arms

An officer of arms is a person appointed by a Sovereignty or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions:*to control and initiate Armory matters...
 at the College of Arms
College of Arms

The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
 in London.

Gallery


See also

  • Portcullis House
    Portcullis House

    Portcullis House in Westminster, London, was commissioned in 1992 to provide offices for Member of Parliament and their staff, augmenting limited space in the Palace of Westminster and surroundings....
  • Yett
    Yett

    A yett is a gate or grille of latticework wrought iron bars used for defensive purposes in castles and tower houses. Unlike a portcullis, which is raised and lowered vertically using mechanical means, yetts are hinged in the manner of a traditional gate or door, and secured by bolts attached to the yett, or by long bars drawn out from the...