Search results
May 17, 2018 · A medieval castle was a wooden or stone building used by rulers to demonstrate their wealth and power and to provide a place of defence in times of war. A medieval castle usually defended a strategically important site like a frontier, river crossing, or valley pass.
- Mark Cartwright
Jul 21, 2023 · Medieval castles are architectural structures that were prevalent during the Middle Ages in Europe, spanning roughly from the 5th to the 15th century. Many medieval castles served multiple purposes, including defense, residence, and simply as a symbol of power for the ruling classes of the time.
Feb 1, 2021 · From the humble origins of the simple wooden motte-and-bailey designs, castles grew to be enormously complex fortifications in the late middle ages, with multiple layers of carefully planned outworks, walls, and towers. Table of Contents show. A Guide to Medieval Castle Design. Origins of Castle Design.
May 23, 2024 · castle, medieval stronghold, generally the residence of the king or lord of the territory in which it stands. Strongholds designed with the same functionality have been built throughout the world, including in Japan, India, and other countries.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- There were four different types. The first were Roman forts, reused by the Normans following their 1066 invasion of England. Although the Normans were the leading castle-builders of the medieval period, it was initially easier for them to move into pre-existing structures.
- The first and most famous castle in England was the Tower of London’s White Tower. Built by William the Conqueror between 1078 and 1097, the White Tower was designed to deter any potential invaders through shock and awe.
- The circular defensive wall of stone castles was up to two metres deep. This wall was filled with rubble on the inside, making it very difficult to break down.
- The cost of building and maintaining castles amounted to around 40 per cent of a king’s annual income. Castle-building was a luxury that very few members of the nobility could afford.
The earliest medieval castles built by the Normans were either constructed within an existing Roman Fort or were Motte and Bailey castles. These were soon replaced by Stone Keep castles as they offered better protection from attack. Concentric castles developed during the 12th and 13th Centuries and were virtually impossible to conquer.
Medieval castles were built from the 11th century CE for rulers to demonstrate their wealth and power to the local populace, to provide a place of defence and safe retreat in the case of attack, defend strategically important sites like river crossings, passages through hills, mountains, and frontiers, and as a place of residence.
