“In medieval Europe the first castles appeared in the 9th century, when the Carolingian empire was collapsing as a result of Viking and Magyar raids ” Castles began to appear all over the British landscape after 1066 and The Norman Conquest led by William the Conqueror. The castle was, and still is a unique and indentifying feature of British heritage. The period between the 11th century and the 14h century saw the functions of castles change dramatically. The earliest castles after 1066 were built by the Normans and were ideal in conquest conditions. During the 12th and 13th century the most dramatic change was from wood to stone. The first castles were wooden motte and bailey castles, and then stronger stone castles developed. In three definitive styles, rectangle keeps, shell keeps and circular keeps. There were only 100 pre built timber castles with motte and bailey structures before 1066 . Then castles took over the British Isles quickly as it is thought that as many as 1000 castles of this type were built in the first few decades following the conquest. The Normans travelled the breath of the country looking for land which fitted the criteria for a motte and bailey castle. .A motte meant a large mound of earth with a tower or ‘keep’ on top of it. A bailey is recognised as the outer wall of the castle and a courtyard, which surrounded the keep. The two components were built on mounds. Most of these castles were built upon the highest ground in the area, were joined to rivers, overlooked towns or near harbours. The Motte was extremely steep, for defensive purposes. The keep would then be on top of the mound. It usually had three storeys. The bailey was shallower and defended the yard and the barracks. The Motte was genera... ... middle of paper ... ...e was a rise in military activity, such as Edwards I’s campaigns against the French and the Welsh, there was again greater castle activity, more were built to adapt to the hostile climate in the late 13th century. Therefore, the ways in which castles were built were a reflection of the need for better defences. The reason being, there was much improvement in weapons and military tactics through the 273 years in question. Bibliography The Sutton Companion to Castles, Stephen Friar, 2003, Sutton Publishing Limited Castles: An Introduction to the Castles of England and Wales. B. H. St. J. O’Neil., F.S.A. London, 1973, Her Majesty’s Stationary. The Rise of the Castle, M.W Thompson, 1991, University of Cambridge Press Castles in Medieval Society: Fortresses in England, France, and Ireland in the Central Middle Ages, Charles Coulson, 2003, Oxford University Press.
A typical feature of a concentric castle is the protective wood work at the top of the walls. We cannot tell whether this was a feature of Portchester Castle because any evidence would have rotted away.
- - - The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History. London, England, Penguin Books, no publication
Early one winter, before the change of the year, the King was hosting a fifteen day diversion for the noblest of knights and their fair ladies. Thronging the castle from far-away lands, eminent knights were jousting during the day, and feasting at night, when an adventure unrivaled by any other took
All of the castles on the european continent were constructed long before the Elizabethan era by the Normans (citizens of Normandy). These castles were built purely to make the Normans look strong and mighty, not much different from the Elizabethans. Majority of these castles were constructed around 1100, almost 50 years after the Norman invasion of
Founded nearly a millennium ago, The Tower of London has been expanded over the centuries. The first foundations built by William the Conquer have been constantly improved. “The Tower of London is the oldest palace, fortress and prison in Europe (“The Tower of London”, “Tower of London”). The Tower of London was never supposed to be a prison.The Tower was originally a Royal Palace also serving as a defensive fortress (“Twenty-Five Facts”). Phil Wilson, a yeoman sergeant, once commented that “hundreds of people have been held prisoner and died [there]” (Go World Travel).
Primary source: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls pages (68, 112, 280, 180-181, 225, 212-213)
Of course with the new design of castles came new ways to attack. Some effective ways to attack these castles, but also rare ways to attack, were by surprise, by storm, or by treachery. The most common way to attack the castles were long term engagements that consisted of either surrounding the castle or getting in close enough that the castles guns would be ranged over the position. The long-term methods consisted of starving out the population, forcing surrender, or by mining and bombardment from close range.
The Web. The Web. 23 Nov. 2011. The "Middle Ages - Information, Facts, and Links." ENotes - Literature Study Guides, Lesson Plans.
Roger Babusci et al. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1994. 115-136. Print. “The Medieval Period: 1066-1485.”
The medieval period, also known as the middle ages, went from 1066 to 1500. During this, England went through many changes in rule. In 1042 Edward the Confessor, son of King Aethelred and Emma, became the King of England, after he learned the and the French culture, and people. After his Edward’s death in 1066, the Normans invaded England, which led to the defeat of the Anglo-Saxons elite. Under the rule of William the Conqueror federalism was introduced to govern England. Once Williams was crowned he started work on the Tower of London, and later Canterbury Cathedral, that lead to the Norman style of architecture. After William died his son Henry I took the throne; he then died without a male heir, so his daughter, Matilda, married Stephen of Blois, who was supported by the church, but his rule led to anarchy. Stephen reign lasted nineteen years.
The first castles built (Motte and Bailey) were made of wood and quick to build, but they were burnt and worn down easily, so the next castles were made of stone. (Square keeps) They were tall, strong, large and lasted long, but attackers would surround the castle and wait for ages for the people inside to come out. The third castles (Shell Keeps) were even stronger, but because they were made of heavy stone, they might collapse. So finally, the fourth castles (concentric) were built and they were the strongest, largest most defensive and most expensive castles built.
Architecture in the Carolingian period made good use of wood just as the Celto-Germanic period did. A major difference between the two was that Carolingian architects used stone only for important buildings such as churches and castles. Their buildings and plans for unfinished buildi...
Rice, Eugene E. and Anthony Grafton. The Foundations of Early Modern Europe, 1460-1559. 2nd. ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Co., 1994.
With the need for war came the need for protection. Castles surrounded the king for his protection against enemies. In addition,...
“25 Facts About HM Tower Of London.” Royalcentral.co.uk. 13 Jan. 2013. Web. 5 May 2014.