2.1.3
Reasons for Building Castles
Castles
Castles
Castles were a key tool for the Normans in their attempt to secure their position in England against foreign enemies and against the nobility.
Motte and bailey castle designs
Motte and bailey castle designs
- The Normans brought their motte and bailey castle designs from France.
- Building castles was a crucial way for the Normans to establish their power.
- To access a castle you had to go through a gatehouse.
- Some castles had a drawbridge, which could be raised and made it even harder to attack the castle.
The motte
The motte
- A tower, known as the keep, was the highest point in the castle. The keep was used to keep a lookout.
- The tower was built on an elevated pile of earth to increase the height. The pile of mud, soil, and earth was called a motte (thus the name motte and bailey castle).
- High ground was important for battle and having a high motte and tower allowed archers to fire arrows accurately over a further distance.
- To make the castle even easier to protect, the tower was separated from the rest of the castle. Invaders had to climb a long steep staircase in order to take control of the keep.
The bailey
The bailey
- Motte and bailey castles took roughly half a year to build.
- The motte was the pile of earth with the tower on.
- The bailey was the main part of the castle. It was surrounded by a palisade (which was a strong wooden fence).
- Around the bailey, there was a moat, which was filled with water. This meant any attackers had to cross the drawbridge and could not quickly attack over the deep moat.
- Troops stayed in the bailey in a 'barracks', although peasants could hide in the bailey if the town was under attack.
Strategic importance of castles
Strategic importance of castles
- Castles were important for 2 reasons:
- Castles helped to defend England from foreign invasion. Castles were built in vital strategic locations across England. Places like the border between England and Wales and outside key towns helped defend Norman England against foreign attackers.
- Castles helped to maintain William of Normandy's control over the local population. Many local earls did not like William. Having a military presence in each town helped to secure the local area and the size of castles was physically intimidating, scaring people away from rebelling.
1Anglo-Saxon England & The Norman Conquest, 1060-66
1.1Anglo-Saxon Society
1.2Edward the Confessor & The Succession Crisis
1.3The Rival Claimants for the Throne
2William I in Power: Securing the Kingdom, 1066-87
2.1Establishing Control
2.2Causes & Outcomes of Anglo-Saxon Resistance
2.3The Legacy of Resistance to 1087
2.4Revolt of the Earls, 1075
3Norman England, 1066-88
3.1The Feudal System & the Church
3.2Norman Government
3.3The Norman Aristocracy
Jump to other topics
1Anglo-Saxon England & The Norman Conquest, 1060-66
1.1Anglo-Saxon Society
1.2Edward the Confessor & The Succession Crisis
1.3The Rival Claimants for the Throne
2William I in Power: Securing the Kingdom, 1066-87
2.1Establishing Control
2.2Causes & Outcomes of Anglo-Saxon Resistance
2.3The Legacy of Resistance to 1087
2.4Revolt of the Earls, 1075
3Norman England, 1066-88
3.1The Feudal System & the Church
3.2Norman Government
3.3The Norman Aristocracy
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