In medieval castle architecture, a brattice (also known as a hoarding or bretèche) is a projecting, roofed wooden gallery or balcony attached to the upper exterior of a stone wall, tower, or gateway. Brattices served as the structural predecessor to stone machicolations and were primarily designed to allow defenders to safely attack enemies attempting to scale the walls below. A brattice provided several distinct tactical advantages and structural components during a medieval siege.

Features:
The Dead Zone Defense: When attackers reached the very base of a castle wall, they often entered a "dead zone" where defenders on the main wall walk could not see or shoot at them. A brattice jutted outward over this drop, allowing defenders to look and shoot directly down upon the attackers.

Machicolation Holes: The floor of a brattice often featured openings (machicolations). Defenders used these gaps to drop heavy stones, boiling water, hot sand, quicklime, or feces directly onto the heads and siege equipment of the enemy.

Roofing and Sides: Unlike a simple open balcony, a proper brattice usually included a timber roof and walls with vertical firing slits. This provided soldiers with critical overhead cover from enemy archers and siege weapons.

Strategic Placement: Brattices were most commonly constructed over vulnerable entry points (such as the main gatehouse or postern gates) and along the sharp corners of curtain walls.

The term "brattice" is derived from the Old French word brétèche and the Medieval Latin brittisca. Historically, this architectural feature originated as a temporary wooden structure. During peacetime, a brattice was often dismantled to prevent it from rotting or giving enemies a climbing aid, but during a siege, carpenters would quickly assemble and mount them onto the stone ramparts.