In this view, through an arrow slit of Warwick Castle, we can see Collegiate Church of St Mary's whose foundations date back nine hundred years to 1123 and Roger de Beaumont Earl of Warwick, but the church we see here is fifteenth century.
Of course, the men who looked out of these openings were not admiring the view or moaning about unsightly scaffolding
they were defending the castle. On many a peaceful day these slits let light into the darkest of towers and also ventilated the musty cold rooms but on the days when Warwick's enemies were rampaging they were used by skilled archers.
The earliest arrow slits can be found in Dover Castle and in the towers of Flamington Castle and the commonest in called a Fishtale which is in the shape of a triangle and gives the archer a clear view of the ground below him. The one we would all recognise is in the shape of a small cross which gives the archer more of a view around enable him to shoot at the enemy
in different areas, they were tiny and therefore the chance of archer being hit is minimal. The openings in the wall for the
use of the longbow were tall enabling the archer to be able to stand, while the cross bows cutting were lower down so these arches could kneel.
Another form of defense along the lines of arrow slits were murder holes and were used for the same purpose but were
made in the floors allowing the defenders to attack the enemy below with arrows, spears and boiling water, they didn't use oil, as is commonly thought, as it was far to useful and expensive to poor over a maundering opponent.
Of course, the men who looked out of these openings were not admiring the view or moaning about unsightly scaffolding
they were defending the castle. On many a peaceful day these slits let light into the darkest of towers and also ventilated the musty cold rooms but on the days when Warwick's enemies were rampaging they were used by skilled archers.
The earliest arrow slits can be found in Dover Castle and in the towers of Flamington Castle and the commonest in called a Fishtale which is in the shape of a triangle and gives the archer a clear view of the ground below him. The one we would all recognise is in the shape of a small cross which gives the archer more of a view around enable him to shoot at the enemy
in different areas, they were tiny and therefore the chance of archer being hit is minimal. The openings in the wall for the
use of the longbow were tall enabling the archer to be able to stand, while the cross bows cutting were lower down so these arches could kneel.
Another form of defense along the lines of arrow slits were murder holes and were used for the same purpose but were
made in the floors allowing the defenders to attack the enemy below with arrows, spears and boiling water, they didn't use oil, as is commonly thought, as it was far to useful and expensive to poor over a maundering opponent.
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