I’ve seen timber used in all sorts of walls, but a defensive one is a whole other beast. Start with a thick, straight‑grain oak core, then wrap it in narrower hardwood slats that interlock with mortise‑and‑tenon joints so every piece holds the next. Add diagonal bracing every few feet and reinforce the joints with small metal plates – that’s how you turn the wood into a single monolith under pressure. Finish with a good seal of oil or limewash to keep moisture out, and if you’re worried about fire, inset a strip of fire‑resistant clay at the top. Don’t forget a sturdy iron hinge for the gate – a door that swings against the wind but locks tight when you need it to hold. Think of the wall as a wooden Swiss Army knife: solid, functional, and ready for whatever comes its way.

You’ll want to weld a thick iron hinge plate onto a reinforced oak frame, then add a secondary steel latch that snaps into place when the gate is closed. The hinges themselves should be a single piece of forged iron, not a cheap pin‑and‑plate set, and the entire assembly ought to be tested with a dummy weight first. If a swarm charges, the hinge will pivot only if the weight is applied evenly—so add a counter‑balance on the other side of the gate to keep it from buckling. That way, the hinge will stand the test of both weight and warrior.