“The majestic power of a great keep, the sweep of battlements--Castles have the power to fascinate us in a way that few buildings have,” writes Christopher Gravett in The History of Castles. Even though the majority of castles across the world have similar basic structures, each country has its own personal style and touch to it. Castles are renowned around the world for their mysteries and their association with princesses such as Cinderella, but in reality they are much more complex than one would think. In their era, castles were centers for administration and the courtesy of authority. Through out the process of building castles, several different kinds of workers were needed. Freemasons were in charge of cutting squared ashlar, moldings, and tracery. Roughmasons laid stone while layers build walls and hewers worked in the quarries. In order to create a ditch or moat around the castle, diggers were hired. The lord of the castle and kings might hire miners, carpenders, foundation workers, smiths, lime-burners, carriers, and other types of more specific workers to add detail to the castle as well. The majority of workers were paid, and only few were labor services. The castles were built to protect the nobles and kings from opposing enemies, especially during war. In the Medieval ages, everyone wanted to live in castles, not because they were beautiful and magical, but because they were safe and the most protective place to be during war. Every aspect of the castle was planned out strategically to defend themselves from attackers. Even the smallest of details were made so that the castle could be protected with efficiency. For example, windows near the ground were very narrow so that an enemy soldiers could not penetrate the... ... middle of paper ... ...ow believe to be a normal life but in reality the life lived back then surpassed our standard of life today because they had a better sense of community which brought them together and formed a strong bond among the inhabitants of the castle. Castles are often viewed as the symbols of power and strive to show us that they don’t just exist in fairytales, but are a major part of history. Castles became much less important in Europe throughout the later centuries because advances in housing and protection during wars were made but we still remember them today because they tell us a lot about history and life during the medieval ages. Works Cited Burke, John. Life in the Castle in Medieval England. New York: British Heritage Press, 1983. Print. "Middle Age for Kids." Medieval Castles. Philip Martin. Web. 23 Oct 2013. .
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.
Royal monarchs did not start living on the grounds until several hundred years after its construction. In 1220 Henry III began to largely expand on the royal palace and increased the castle defenses. When the tower did become a common place for monarchs, it also became a new stage for climatic events in England. The palace became a place for royal ceremonies and drama. The casual attributes of the tower like the armory, treasury, temple, the castles green and even an added Jewel house were all made mo...
Castles in the Middle Ages were built primarily for defense in war. They were constantly being attacked so they had to be built very strong and almost impenetrable. Castles were very large to protect from invaders, but they were definitely not made for comfort. They were very dirty inside, but their main purpose was for defense. Castles were built with very strong walls. Some of the castles had walls that could be as big as thirty feet thick. They also had multiple walls so that if invaders got past the outer wall they still had to get past one or two more, this made defending the castle much easier. The walls were constructed with narrow, wedge-shaped slits in them for archers to shoot arrows at invaders. The outer walls also had holes in the floors for defenders to drop rocks down on invading people who had gotten through the first wall. These holes were called murder holes. Inside the castle were many knights, archers, and soldiers prepared to defend against anyone who breaks all of the way through the walls and gets inside of the castle. Castles also had very large gates and gatehouses to let people into the castle. There was a gatehouse for each wall. Each gatehouse usually had a very large metal and wooden gate that could be lowered into the opening to stop an enemy from getting in or it could be raised to let friends in. Besides huge gates, outer gatehouses also had drawbridges, which could be lowered across moats to let people into the castle. They were also raised to prevent people form getting across. Castles were also built in strategic places so that they could use natural defenses. For instance, some castles were built on the sides of mountains. Others were built in places with many trees surrounding them. Some were built near lakes and rivers, but most of them had moats dug around them.
We remember William of Normandy as a conquering hero. Truly one of the great warrior's of all time. But its is his patronage that still can be viewed in the twentieth century. The churches of St. Etienne and La Trinite as well as the tower of London, are medieval architectural models. All three buildings have a wealth of documentation surrounding them.
The primary use for all castles, in general, is defense. They were often built on hills, cliffs, islands, swamps, etc. to limit the probability of a siege or uprising, and motte and bailey castles were no different. The motte and bailey castles were first used to protect the nobleman of the Norman fleet, and followed a fairly basic design. Mottes, according to Dr. Reginald Allen Brown, medieval historian with vast knowledge and experience in this field, were artificial mounds constructed by piling consecutive layers of earth and stones. The stones created stability throughout the motte and also helped with drainage. The sides of the motte were often covered with a layer of clay...
Once you see the Medieval Times Knight battle you will have a whole new appreciation for knights; a castle garden. It all started with the stairs. When it was time for the show to begin my family and I went to the grand staircase. Once we got there two trumpet players dressed in baggy pants and shirts started playing. Their trumpets were unusually long with banners on them. One banner had a lion's head on it and the other had a shield. The trumpet players played the most crisp and majestic sound I have ever heard. The sound rang through the castle and all of the crowds fell silent.
The main idea of a castle was that it didn't take many men to control
Scott, Robert. The Gothic Enterprise: A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2003.
World Book Online Reference Center | Online Reference Book| Online Encyclopedia. (n.d.). World Book. Retrieved , from http://www.worldbookonline.com/pl/referencecenter/article?id=ar030820&st=medieval+warfare
Although it is thought that medieval times were barbaric they too enjoyed many comforts we still do today. There is much more to the castle then its’ size or the stone arches inside which are still used in many homes today. Castles today are still flocked to by millions of people every year. Sometimes you even see copies of castles right here in the U.S.A but they are not quite the same. Although they were originally built to protect the King, Castles became more and more popular among other nobles as well. Each family castle had their own special design and touch but most castles of medieval times had a lot of the same basic elements in their interior.
Nelson, Lynn H.. "Lectures for Medieval Survey." The ORB: on-line Reference Book for Medieval Studies. College of State Island, CUNY, 10 November 2002. Web. 27 Feb 2012.
After researching and learning about the Tower of London, I’ve realized how great of an impact it has on British history. Writing this paper has opened my eyes to a larger world, and shows me how deep history really goes. The people that impacted the Tower, and the events that occurred within the Tower, are what makes the Tower grand and strong, with thousands of tales being passed on from generation to generation of the dramatic experiences they have had while in the tower. Therefor the walls of the tower of London hold within them secrets of history, which has changed not only England but the whole world as well. If only these walls could talk, they could tell us the truth behind the history and tales that occurred within the Tower of London.
Hamm S., Jean. Term Paper Resource Guide to Medieval History. Santa Barbara, California. Greenwood Press. 2010. Print.
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.
With the need for war came the need for protection. Castles surrounded the king for his protection against enemies. In addition,...