Anyone Know....

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Anne Lyle

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Hmm... I assume you're thinking of a castle on a river or lake? The water entrance to the castle is usually called a gate - it being a tunnel through a tower or at the base of a wall - and the actual dock or jetty is inside the walls. Try looking up info on the Tower of London - prisoners often entered by boat, via Traitor's Gate.
 

Higgins

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Arsenal

What is the corridor/hall/passage called that connects a castle with its private dock?

Heck, I don't even know if I'm describing it right.

If your castle is a Venetian fortress, the inhabitants might think of the "dock area" as the arsenal:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenal

And this seems to be what the dock area is called in some Venetian fortresses on Crete. Note that the word is of Arabic origin, so the Venetians must have gotten some of their ideas of military structures from their Arabic-speaking associates.
 

JenNipps

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Hmm... I assume you're thinking of a castle on a river or lake? The water entrance to the castle is usually called a gate - it being a tunnel through a tower or at the base of a wall - and the actual dock or jetty is inside the walls. Try looking up info on the Tower of London - prisoners often entered by boat, via Traitor's Gate.

So I was making it harder on myself than it had to be, huh? :) I actually did think of that, but I thought I was trying to make it too simple. Thanks.

Sokal said:
If your castle is a Venetian fortress, the inhabitants might think of the "dock area" as the arsenal:

Not venetian, but thank you anyway. :)
 

CoriSCapnSkip

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"Knight's Fee," by Rosemary Sutcliff, talks about a "water stair" at Arundel Castle. As far as I can tell, it doesn't sit next to a river or lake. Maybe it was different back then.
 

pdr

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Actually...

Arundle Castle, in Sussex, that one?
Well, according to my Sussex born husband, it was built to guard the valley the river made through the South Downs. This was a weak place the Normans had to protect when nasty old Will the Conk was dong his conquering bit. There was access to the river, I understand, from the early castle and at one time water from the river was used for a moat. Castles with a deep moat usually had water stairs.
 
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