An
outer bailey or
outer ward is the defended outer enclosure of a
castle. It protects the
inner bailey and usually contains those ancillary buildings used for the management of the castle or the supply of its occupants. These domestic buildings could include
workshops,
livestock stalls and
stables; storage facilities such as
barns,
sheds and
granaries, as well as quarters for
servants such as
maids,
farm workers, and even the castle governors or
castellans. In many cases there was also a
brewery, a
bakehouse and a
kitchen, if the latter was not located in the hall or
palas. An outer bailey was often called a
base court in England. Depending on topography it could also be referred to as a
lower bailey or
lower ward, the keep being in the
upper bailey or ward.
Chepstow Castle has lower, middle and upper baileys.