Monk Bar is the largest and most ornate of the surviving bars and dates from the early 14th century. The passageway and two lower storeys have elaborate vaulted roofs. The bar was a self-contained fortress with each floor capable of being defended. The arch on the front of the bar supports a gallery from which missiles and boiling oil could be dropped on attackers. Monk Bar still has its portcullis and winding mechanism. It is now a museum.