A castle design commonality throughout the ages and in every land is the Courtyard. Whether it is completely enclosed by the home or one or more walls, the courtyard provided a place of respite from the heat of summer days, safety from the wild animals and people or a space to grow special plants.
We love it when people add a courtyard to their design. As an attached to the home feature it is remarkably inexpensive, and you can construct courtyard walls out of just about anything.
