Shield Wall (fortification)
A shield wall, also shield-wall or , refers to the highest and strongest Curtain wall (fortification), curtain wall, or tower of a castle that defends the only practicable line of approach to a castle Hill castle, built on a mountain, hill or headland. German sources may refer to a shield wall that protects two or more sides as a or , which is variously translated as "mantle-wall", "mantle wall" or "high screen-wall". There is often no clear, definitive distinction between a shield wall and a mantle wall. Occurrence Shield walls are found on many German and Austrian hill castles, but are not common in Great Britain or Ireland where the terrain of the rocky hills on which castles were built did not favour such constructions. However some castles in those areas built on headlands such as Tantallon Castle, Tantallon and Old Head of Kinsale, Old Head do have a similar feature. Origin and description The construction of shield walls was common in the late 12th century in Germany an ...
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