Motte and bailey castles were a form of castle structure that enabled the new Norman conquerors of England and Wales to secure areas of land quickly and cheaply . The Normans needed a castle design they could erect quickly to subdue the vanquished Britons.
What was a motte used for?
The motte was a huge mound with a castle, or keep , built on top. It would have been easy to defend, as people would have had to climb up it slowly to reach the keep. Most mottes were surrounded by a deep ditch to stop attackers. The bailey was a large area of ground, surrounded by a tall, wooden fence.
What was the motte used for in a castle?
They were the first type of castle to be built in England. The castle is made up of two parts. The motte is a raised mound or earthwork which would have a stone or wooden keep on top. A keep is a kind fortified tower.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a Motte and Bailey castle?
| Advantages quick to build protected by the soldiers Disadvantages made of wood temporary | Evaluation A motte and bailey castle was a way that William the Conqueror could control his land that he had just won. This was only temporary solution though so that is why stone castles started to be built |
When were motte and bailey castles used?
Motte and bailey castles appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 . Motte and bailey castles were a common feature in England by the death of William the Conqueror in 1087. Their construction was the start of what was to become a massive castle building programme in England and Wales.
Why did stone castles replace motte and bailey?
The wooden defences of motte and bailey castles were replaced by walls and towers of stone . ... Stone is more durable and resistant than wood and so it became the preferred building materials for castles. Stone castles were built taller and gave better protection against attack, fire and cold rainy weather.
Why the Motte and Bailey castle was good for Defence?
For man-made mottes the earth needed to build it was taken from the surrounding ditch to create another defensive feature. ... Motte and Bailey castles were built in Britain, Ireland and France in the 11th and 12th centuries. They were relatively cheap but effective defensive fortification that could repel small attacks .
What do you need for a Motte and Bailey castle?
Most motte and bailey castles had a circular wall made from sturdy tree trunks called a palisade. The easiest way to replicate this is to stick together rows of small wooden sticks (like popsicle sticks, coffee stirrers, or even dry twigs from outdoors). Tape or glue each piece of the wall in place carefully.
What is a Motte and Bailey castle ks2?
What is a Motte and Bailey Castle? ... The motte is a raised mound of earth which has a wooden or stone building on it , often referred to as a keep. The bailey is an enclosed courtyard that is surrounded by walls and a ditch and palisade — which is a wooden stake fence.
What are the strengths of motte and bailey castles?
- Cheap and easy to build – you could even use an existing mound or hill for foundations.
- Didn’t require and specialist materials – earth and timber were always nearby.
Why are concentric castles better than motte and bailey?
A concentric castle is a much larger construction than Motte and bailey or Stone keep castles. Concentric Castles, such as Beaumaris and Caerphilly Castles, make best use of angles in a castles design , providing the defender with more opportunity to hurt any attacking force.
How did the motte and bailey castles help William to control England?
Wooden motte and bailey castles helped William to quickly control the English BUT they burned easily and they rotted . Later castles were built from stone. These stone castles were impressive and showed everyone the baron was in charge and it was also a safe place from which to rule the local area.
What are the bad things about motte and bailey castles?
Another negative thing was that the stone keep castle was square , so the corners could easily be undermined. The enemy would usually send men down a hole, make them tunnel until they reached a corner of the castle, which would cave in due to the weight of the stone castle and make it crumble away.
What is the oldest castle in UK?
Built in 1067 by Robert of Mortain, the Berkhamsted Castle is the oldest castle in England.
What is stone keep?
The Stone Keep was a central feature of the castle , a stone tower built on the highest point. It was typically very tall with thick stone walls and is where the owners would have lived. Not all keeps were the same but there would have typically been: Battlements – on the top of the keep to provide defence.
What is the difference between a motte-and-bailey castle and a stone keep?
A motte-and-bailey castle consisted of two parts: a lookout tower and a place for people to live. A stone keep castle was a single dwelling built of rocks, making it harder to burn or attack, and surrounded by a moat.
What was the first stone castle in England?
The first stone castle built in England and one of the first in Europe was the famous White Tower of the Tower of London , completed at the end of the 11th century.
What is a Norman castle?
Norman castles were designed for a different purpose, they were not defensive structures like the burhs , they were designed to intimidate the conquered Anglo-Saxons and remind them of Norman power . Norman castles were often built in locations that were considered of strategic value.
What was a bailey used for in medieval times?
The Bailey
The yard was surrounded by a wooden fence called a palisade and then a ditch. The bailey was the center of domestic life within the castle and could contain a variety of buildings, including halls, kitchens, stores, stables, a chapel, barracks, and workshops.
Where would you build a Motte-and-Bailey castle?
The Normans introduced the design into England and Wales. Motte-and-bailey castles were adopted in Scotland, Ireland, the Low Countries and Denmark in the 12th and 13th centuries. Windsor Castle, in England, is an example of a motte-and-bailey castle.
What did a concentric castle look like?
Concentric castles resemble one castle nested inside the other , thus creating an inner and outer ward. They are typically built without a central free-standing keep. Where the castle includes a particularly strong tower (donjon), such as at Krak or Margat, it projects from the inner enceinte.
Who ordered the first Motte and Bailey castle in England?
Who introduced the Motte and Bailey Castles to England? The Normans from France , introduced the Motte and Bailey castle to England, when they invaded the country in 1066. It is believed that as many as 1000 Motte and Bailey Castles were built in England by the Normans.
What kind of castle soon replaced Motte and Bailey castles?
Stone Keep Castle
This type of medieval castle soon replaced the Motte and Bailey castles as it offered a better form of defence. A stone keep was the central feature, with thick walls and few windows. Entrance to the keep was by stone steps leading to the first floor.
How was the Motte and Bailey built?
The castles consisted of a wooden wall, perhaps built on an earth bank, encircling an open space or courtyard (bailey) and a natural or artificial hill (motte) which had a wooden tower built in the centre of its flattened top, sometimes surrounded by its own wooden palisade.
What is a square keep castle?
The keep (also known as a donjon) was a tower which was surrounded by a stone wall , often three metres thick. Stone keep castles were also known as square keep castles, since they were often square in shape. ... When under attack, other people in the castle could also seek refuge in the keep.
Do all castles have moats?
Outer Defenses
It usually had a drawbridge across it that was drawn up when the castle was under attack. Many moats were also dump sites for garbage and sewage. The existence of a moat was dictated by the terrain — not all castles had moats . Some castles were built high up on bedrock and didn’t need them.
What is concentric defense?
Concentric Castles and Crusader Castles. A concentric castle is a castle with two or more concentric curtain walls, where the outer wall is lower than the inner and can be defended from it . Concentric castles resemble one enclosure castle nested inside the other, generally without a central free-standing keep.
What is a Bailey in a concentric castle?
Because of the two separate walls, concentric castles would have had two separate wards: the outer bailey , between the inner and outer walls and the inner bailey, inside the inner wall. The keep was not a necessary element; in fact, most concentric castles were built without a central keep.
How were motte and bailey castles attacked?
Fire was the best way to attack the early Motte and Bailey castles since they were made entirely of wood. The fire might be started by building a bonfire against the outer wooden fence (palisade) or, more usually, by archers shooting fire-arrows into the castle. ... Fire has little effect on a stone castle.
What are the advantages of a stone keep castle?
Stone castles had a number of advantages over wooden motte and bailey structures: They could be built inside the walls of the motte and bailey castle , this meant that the castle was still operational whilst it was being rebuilt. Unlike a wooden castle the new stone keeps did not rot or go up in flames.
Why were castles built near the sea?
Some castles were built near the sea, so that defenders could see enemies who came by boat . There were holes in the walls of a castle so that the archers could shoot arrows at an enemy. The doors were made out of heavy iron, so it was very difficult to open them.
Why was the Normandy Embassy important?
Harold’s Embassy to Normandy is important in three main ways: it showed that Harold was King Edward’s most trusted adviser ; the Normans used it to boost William’s claim to the throne; and it was used by the Normans to portray Harold as an oath-breaker after Harold became king instead of helping William to the throne of ...
Why was the motte and bailey castle at Hastings important to William’s victory?
After he invaded England in 1066, William needed to construct castles in large numbers. They demonstrated his control of the population, ensured protection for his soldiers , and solidified his rule in remote parts of the country. ... He then built significant numbers of motte and bailey castles to help maintain peace.
Which castle is built into this cave?
The only thing more fairytale-like than a castle is a castle perched on a 400-meter cliff that’s built around the entrance of a natural cave. Oh, and did we mention there’s a network of secret passageways? The Predjama Castle in Slovenia has all that and more — and it’s open to the public year-round.
Do families still live in castles?
The funny thing is, there are a surprising number of historic castles still in use today. These medieval castles are not only still standing, they remain private residences (at least in part) to families that can trace their lineage back through the centuries.
Are there any real castles?
While fairytale castles may be more associated with medieval Europe, the USA is actually home to many beautiful chateaus, mansions and palaces – you just need to know where to find them. We round up the most enchanting American castles, from the grand Biltmore Estate in North Carolina to California’s Hearst Castle.
