Neck ditch

With an artificial moat ditch is called, does not completely encompass a castle, but only the sides of the area, closing off that are not protected by natural barriers. He is an important part of the defense system of many hilltop castles.

Originally the term moat was used only for castles in spur position in the castle customer. They are protected due to their location on three sides by steep mountain slopes. An effective attack ever could therefore only be performed from the mountain side. A separation of the plant from the ridge was for practical reasons, always at the narrowest point of the mountain spur, the "bottleneck", hence the name. The castle was then just over a bridge - usually a drawbridge - reachable.

Nowadays the term moat is sometimes also applied to other types of castles, if they have a deep dry moat at one or two of its sides, while they are protected on all other sides by inaccessible terrain.

Many former neck trenches are now overgrown and just make out with difficulty.

Examples of castles with moats neck in the classic sense, the castle love stone, Rochlitz Castle, Castle Kriebstein and Isenburg.

If other parts of a castle, with such a ditch separated, for example, pre-and main castle, one speaks of a section of trench.