Definition

• A castle bailey is simply a courtyard within the boundary of the castle walls. It follows that the inner bailey is a courtyard within the castle as well. Naturally, this made the inner bailey stronger against possible attacks.
  
  

Significance

• The purpose of the inner bailey was to provide an extra layer of protection by way of a keep. Within the inner bailey might have been storage rooms and guest houses. This varies between castles, however. For example, in Carlisle Castle, the inner ward (another term for the inner bailey) contained a great hall and a kitchen.
  
  

Construction

• The construction of an inner bailey may have varied between castles. At Portchester Castle, for example, the keep was built by combining the functions of several smaller buildings surrounding what became the inner bailey. This then changed over time. Other castles, however, built their inner bailey with a specific purpose.