Aportcullis (from Old French porte coleice 'sliding gate')[1] is a heavy, vertically closinggate typically found inmedieval fortifications. It consists of a latticedgrille made of wood and/or metal, which slides down grooves inset within each jamb of the gateway.
Portcullises fortified the entrances to manymedievalcastles, securely closing them off during times of attack orsiege. Every portcullis was mounted in vertical grooves in the walls of the castle and could be raised or lowered quickly by usingchains orropes attached to an internalwinch. Portcullises had an advantage over standard gates in that they could be closed immediately at a time of crisis by a single guard.
Two portcullises to the mainentrance would often be used. The one closer to the inside would be closed first, and then the one further away. This was used to trap enemies, and burningwood or fire-heated sand would usually be dropped onto them frommurder-holes or the roof.Hot oil, however, was not commonly used in this manner, contrary to popular belief, since oil was extremely expensive.[2]Arrowslits in the sides of the walls enabledarchers andcrossbowmen to kill the trapped group of attackers.
In England, working portcullises survive at theTower of London,Monk Bar in York,Hever Castle in Kent, and at the hotel conversion,Amberley Castle.[3][4] In Scotland, a working portcullis is atEdinburgh Castle.
The portcullis was the heraldic badge of theHouse of Beaufort, and the first Tudor king,Henry VII, who was of matrilineal Beaufort descent, adapted both the portcullis and theTudor rose intoRoyal badges of theHouse of Tudor. Since then, the portcullis has been a moderately commonmotif of Englishheraldry, especially that heraldry dating from the Tudor period. The heraldic office ofPortcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary, a juniorofficer of arms in theCollege of Arms atLondon, dates from this period.
ThroughLord Charles Somerset, son ofThe 5th Duke of Beaufort, the portcullis has found its way into several South African coats of arms. Somerset established several towns during his governorship at the then-Cape Colony and named them for his family. These includeWorcester,Somerset West,Fort Beaufort, andBeaufort West. Institutions that derive the portcullis from these arms include a school, a chamber of commerce, and a rugby club. Other (around 30) South African coats of arms that include a portcullis are not necessarily related to eitherLord Charles Somerset or any of the towns named after and by him.
Although thePalace of Westminster served as the officialroyal residence for both Henry VII andHenry VIII until 1530, the current use of the portcullis as a symbol of the palace and ofParliament does not date from that time. Rather, the symbol was developed as part ofSir Charles Barry's plans for the rebuilt palace afterthe original burned down on 16 October 1834; he conceptualized the new palace as a "legislative castle", and the symbol of a castle gate—i.e., a portcullis—fit well with the scheme.[5][6]
Since then, the portcullis has become the primary symbol of Parliament; an office building forMembers of Parliament (MPs), opened in 2001, is named "Portcullis House". During the 20th century, use of the portcullis as a symbol of Parliament spread beyond Britain and to the otherCommonwealth realms. For instance, thecoat of arms of Canberra has a portcullis in itscrest, preserving a connection between the British Parliament at Westminster and theAustralian Parliament to which Canberra is home.
The badge, coat of arms, and flag of theCanada Border Services Agency all include a portcullis, symbolizing the agency's role as His Majesty's agents responsible for the border services of Canada.[7] A portcullis was previously found on theBritish one-penny coin and on thepredecimal thrupenny bit; this has since been replaced by a section of theRoyal Arms of the United Kingdom. It was also featured in the now-defunctHM Customs and Excise in the United Kingdom and still appears in the rank insignia for the various grades of commissioner in theAustralian Border Force.
The portcullis may appear:
It is often shown with chains attached, even when the blazon does not mention them.
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