Castles

A medieval castle had two purposes: it was both a fortification and the home of a lord. The first castles were just earthwork enclosures.

Later earth mounds and timber towers were built forming a type of castle called a motte and bailey.

However the timber constructions were vulnerable to fire so shell keeps were built to protect the wooden structure within a stone wall or shell.

During the time when the motte and baileys were being built, powerful noblemen were constructing the Norman great towers.

There was no tactical reason for building them so high. The great tower in all its forms became a symbol of power and nobility.

The curtained wall was one of the castle’s most important defensive feature. At first, it was just a wall with a crenelated parapet but over time the defences were developed and more towers were added.

Fighting platforms were built, first from timber and later stone. At the same time, gateways evolved from simple openings within towers to twin towered gateways, keeps in their own right.

And castles built with an outer wall around the curtain wall were known as concentric castles. Inside domestic life often centred around the Great Hall where the wealthy could entertain guests with lavish feasts.

In the case of fortified manor houses, battlements were more for show than defence.

Medieval castles were considered so prestigious that the style was revived by rich men who wanted to appear as powerful as the noblemen of the middle ages.