Window seat inside the castle of Villerouge Termenez
Seats were built here because they were the lightest place in the room
In pre-feminist time, women would sit here to work on textiles

Part of a staircase
inside the larges of the four round towers

(it is set into the thickness of the tower wall)

A doorway in the castle showing the thickness of the walls

A plaque set into the road at Villerouge Termenez

The entrance to the castle of Villerouge Termenez with a murder hole.
The original road level was a couple of feet higher but the entrance
was still tall enough for a mounted knight.

The interior of the postern gate at the castle of Villerouge Termenez.
The gate is well above the level of the ground for defensive purposes,
and could be used for mounting sorties against attackers.

Exterior of the castle of Villerouge Termenez

 

Occitan roadsign at Villerouge Termenez

 

Plan of the castle of Villerouge Termenez

Entrance of the castle of Villerouge Termenez, showing the murder hole
from which defenders could shoot at or drop hot materials on attackers at the gate.

Entrance of the castle of Villerouge Termenez, Close up showing the murder hole
from which defenders could shoot at or drop hot materials on attackers at the gate.

WIindow of the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
The style is very early - pre romaneque, what in England would be called Anglo-Saxon

Fireplace at the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
The style is early. It has an Inglenook on one side and an oven on the other.

A sink (evier) at the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
This is very basic - you can just see the overflow drain..

Wall at the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
The style is a stone wall, covered in lime and painted to look like stone,
the hight of fashion in the High Middle ages.

Wall painting at the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
The arms are those of the owner - the then Archbishop of Narbonne.

Modern wall painting at the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
The style is typical of the period, and can still be seen in local churches in the Corbieres.

Stone floor at the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
The style is typical - it allowed a random selection is irregularly sized rectangular slabs to be used
with minimal trimming to get rows of the same width.

The Entrance ramp at the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
This ramp was part of a defensive barbican, vulnerable from castle walls above

Exteriort the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
there is a round tower at each corner

Exteriort the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
there is a round tower at each corner

Exterior of the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
The wooden structure is a wooden staircase up to the postern gate, partially obscured by shrubbery.
It would have been defended by a brattice (brettech) the vestiges of which can be seen directly above.

Exterior of the castle of Villerouge Termenez,

The remnants of a fireplace and bread oven at the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
Also vestiges of a painted wall.

Interior of the castle of Villerouge Termenez
With modern structures & atmospheric model

Model of the castle and village of Villerouge Termenez,
showing how it would have looked in the Middle ages

Model of the castle and village of Villerouge Termenez,
showing how it would have looked in the Middle ages
Note the sophisticated crenellated barbican

Model of the castle and village of Villerouge Termenez,
showing how it would have looked in the Middle ages
As in most cases, the castle is a second defensive structure - the village itself is fortified.

Inner wall in the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
Many non defensive walls even in castles were made of wattle and daub (columbage)
more familiar from domestic Tudor buildings

Wall and half ruined tower of the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
seen from the upper story of the inside

roof of a circular tower of the castle of Villerouge Termenez,
seen from directly below