Dungeons

Purpose

Dungeons often served only a temporary need. Not every castle contained one, and most never functioned as long-term prisons for civil use, but instead only until a personal dispute or ransom was settled. They were also often located close to the guardrooms or main gatehouse, often at ground level, in order to prevent the imprisoned from gaining access to the interior and allowing the guards to keep close watch. Many real dungeons are simply a single plain room with a heavy door or accessible only from a hatchway or trapdoor in the floor of the room above.