What are the defensive features of Bodiam castle?

Answer 1

Bodiam Castle was not just built for defence but also for display, It didn't have much defensive features.Bodiam Castle is also considered to be one of the best moated castles from the late medieval period. Even if it was not used as a defence, It had defensive walls ,inner courts , a wooden bridge (defended by a drawbridge), its own defended Gatehouse and Attackers then faced machicolations, three pairs of heavy doors, three portcullises and further 'murder holes' in the vaulted passageway. :)

Answer 2

While Bodiam Castle looks like the "perfect" castle surrounded by a moat, it was actually built quite late in the history of castle building. It was instead built more for show it has been argued. It is very low down in the surrounding landscape and could easily have been overcome by siege engines or more importantly, cannon fire. In addition, there are relatively few arrow loops or gun ports within the walls to return fire, etc.

Answer 3

Bodiam is not typical of medieval castles and was probably built as an impressive stately home rather than an effective defensive structure. It is significant that when threatened with siege in 1483 the castle surrendered without putting up a fight.

Bodiam is built on a small island surrounded by a wide moat; a main entrance at the front and a smaller postern gate at the rear were both originally connected to the banks by wooden bridges and drawbridges (the postern bridges have long since gone). The castle's 28 garderobes emptied directly into the moat, making it an open sewer that must have stunk.

The castle is roughly square, without a donjon and with all domestic buildings arranged around the exterior walls; there were round towers at each corner and square towers in the centre of each wall, except on the north, where the gatehouse stood three floors high. Only the gatehouse has gun ports while the walls and towers have remarkably useless glass windows that would be a real problem for the defenders - fire arrows and other missiles could easily reach across the moat to smash these windows and set fire to the interior.

See link below for a plan of the castle: