A portcullis is a heavy grille of timber or iron, or both, that slides vertically in grooves within a castle or town gateway and can be dropped quickly to block the entrance. It is raised and lowered by chains or ropes connected to a winch in a chamber above the gate passage.
Portcullises were a standard defensive feature of medieval castles and fortified gatehouses across Europe, often used in pairs so that attackers could be trapped between them. Surviving original examples are rare, though a number of English and Scottish castles retain portcullis grooves and lifting machinery. The portcullis also became an important heraldic badge, associated with the Beaufort family and adopted by the Tudors, and it is now widely recognised as the emblem of the Houses of Parliament. As a motif it appears in Tudor and Gothic Revival architecture, on carved panelling, stained glass, ceramics, silver and metalwork, and on ceremonial and institutional objects. In the decorative arts, a portcullis badge can help to date or identify the origin of an object, and collectors of Parliamentary memorabilia, heraldic carving and Gothic Revival design value it highly.
