What is the area around a castle called?

What is the area around a castle called?

Moat

What is the most protected part of a castle?

The castle gatehouse was one of the most defensive parts of any medieval fortress. It was a strong, fortified building positioned to defend the entrance to a castle. Gatehouses usually contained multiple traps and obstacles to foil any intruder. These traps included vast metal portcullises, and infamous murder holes.

How was the castle kept safe?

Walls and towers Thick stone walls and tall towers kept the castle’s inhabitants safe from attack, even when an enemy army besieged (surrounded) the castle.

What is the keep of a castle?

Keep, English term corresponding to the French donjon for the strongest portion of the fortification of a castle, the place of last resort in case of siege or attack.

What was the weakest point of a castle?

The entrance to the castle was always its weakest point. Drawbridges could be pulled up, preventing access across moats. Tall gate towers meant that defenders could shoot down in safety at attacks below. The main gate or door to the castle was usually a thick, iron-studded wooden door, that was hard to break through.

What is the difference between a keep and a castle?

The keep is the fortified tower usually on a man made hill called a motte and surrounded by walled enclosures called baileys. Originally built from wood it would have been rebuilt in stone usually in the C12th. The castle refers to the whole fortification: keep, motte, baileys, outer walls, towers and moats or ditches.

What are the 3 types of castles?

However, despite the dizzying diversity in medieval castles, there were three primary types of castles: Motte-and-bailey castles, stone keep castles, and concentric castles.

Why did they stop making castles?

Why did they stop building castles? Castles were great defences against the enemy. However, when gunpowder was invented the castles stopped being an effective form of defence. The medieval castle with its high vertical walls was no longer the invincible fortification it had been.

What was the Bailey used for in a castle?

The Bailey A bailey is an enclosed courtyard, typically surrounded by a wooden palisade overlooked by the motte. It was used as a living area by vassals who served the lord of the castle, generally including a blacksmith, a miller and most of the necessary craftsmen of the age.

What are 5 features of Norman castles?

• Can’t findeverythingat your castle?
• So you’re ina Norman castle.
• The ‘Motte’ – the. mound where the castle was built. This hadsteep sides to make it tricky for the enemy to run up.
• Curved, arched. doorways – arches were in fashion back then. Small, narrow.
• Large, stone. building blocks. and thick walls.
• It’s dark.

What are the disadvantages of a Motte and Bailey castle?

At a glance: disadvantages of Motte and Bailey castles

• Timber burns easily -and attackers quickly learned that firing flaming arrows could defeat the castle.
• Timber rots, to0 – castles quickly ran into disrepair, and often became abandoned by their owners.
• Mottes often had a broad base.

Why did the Normans build so many castles?

After their victory at the Battle of Hastings, the Normans settled in England. They constructed castles all over the country in order to control their newly-won territory, and to pacify the Anglo-Saxon population. These early castles were mainly of motte and bailey type.

What replaced castles?

Stone castles replaced the motte and bailey castles but the stone castles also changed over time.

Where is the best place to build a castle?

Castle Location near Rivers Many medieval castles, such as those commissioned by Norman King William following his Conquest of England, were built near rivers. This was an excellent strategic location for building castles because a river provided a natural defence for the castle.

What were the disadvantages of stone castles?

Despite stone keep castles being exceptionally strong, they had their disadvantages. Expensive to build, an average stone keep castle cost around 3000- 4000 ($7000-$9000), at a time when the average person earned two pence (five cents) a day.

Who lived in a stone keep Castle?

The Normans were master castle builders. After 1066, England witnessed a massive castle building programme on the orders of William the Conqueror. First, motte and bailey castles were built. Once William had firmly established his rule in England, he built huge stone keep castles.

What are the weaknesses of a concentric castle?

At a glance: the disadvantages of concentric castles

• They were phenomenally expensive to build – this can’t be overstated!
• They took significant time to build – they needed years, rather than just weeks for basic motte-and-bailey castle.

What was the most effective way of destroying a stone castle in the 11th century?

Fire was the best way to attack the early Motte and Bailey castles since they were made entirely of wood.

How do you defend and attack a castle?

How to defend a castle

1. Building up high. Building a castle up high made it difficult for enemies to get to the castle.
2. Tall towers. Strong towers were added to curtain walls to watch out for enemies.
3. Battlements. Battlements were walls on the roof of a castle.
4. Arrow slits.
5. Moat.
6. Drawbridge.
7. Portcullis.
8. Dungeons.

What were some drawbacks of using a castle for defense?

What were some of the drawbacks of using a castle for defense? People would not be able to leave the grounds, they could run out of food/water, many people living together at one time. Peasants would come onto the castle grounds for protection from war.

What are the key features of a stone keep Castle?

A stone keep was the central feature, with thick walls and few windows. Entrance to the keep was by stone steps leading to the first floor. The kitchens were situated on the ground floor while living quarters were on the upper floors. The first keeps were rectangular in shape but later ones were often circular.

How thick were stone keep castle walls?

The new stone wall of a shell keep, either circular or polygonal, could be 3-3.5 metres (10-12 ft) thick and 4.5-9 metres (15-30 ft) high.

What are the key features of a Motte and Bailey castle?

A motte-and-bailey castle is a fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade.

What were the advantages of stone castles?

At a glance: advantages of Stone Castles. Stone walls and towers were much stronger against catapults and siege engines (although they certainly weren’t impenetrable!) Stone buildings could be much larger and grander simple wooden designs – befitting the important nobles who lived in them.

Why are concentric castles easier to defend?

The inside walls were built higher than the outside walls. This meant that defenders could fire arrows over the heads of the soldiers defending the outside walls. He also put an outer wall around the Tower of London making that a concentric castle. Dover Castle – stands at the heart of a concentric ring of defences.

How were stones cut to build castles?

The workers use traditional techniques from the 13th century. To split stones for the walls, quarrymen “read” the rock face to see the lines where it will fracture. They then drive a line of holes into the stone and then pound corners into the holes, which makes shock waves go through the stone and break it.

Why do castles last so long?

Castles made from stone and mortar do not last long without regular maintenance. The mortar begins to crack, which allows water to seep in. Water is the bane of all buildings. During the winter, water will freeze causing more cracks, which in turn allows more water to seep in.

What are the 4 types of castles?

The Medieval Castle: Four Different Types

• Within an Existing Roman Fortress. The earliest medieval castles built by the Normans were either constructed within an existing Roman Fort or were Motte and Bailey castles.
• Motte and Bailey Castles.
• Stone Keep Castle.
• Concentric Castles.

What is the oldest castle in the world?

the Citadel of Aleppo

Are castles still built today?

Castles are a staple of world history, particularly European history, as several of them still stand today. In most cases, the grand stone structures that exist today, were constructed after the initial fortress or smaller castle was built.