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Jul 21, 2023 · Why Were Castles Built? Castles were built for a multitude of reasons, each tied to the unique circumstances and needs of the medieval period. First and foremost, castles were built as fortified structures to provide defense against external threats.
Feb 1, 2021 · Before 1066, a couple of Normans living in England and friends of the English King, Edward the Confessor had built castles but on the whole, castles were not part of the English landscape.
Aug 30, 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
- The Evolution of The Castle
- Features of A Medieval Castle
- Moat
- Barbican
- Curtain Walls & Towers
- Fortified Gatehouse
- Keep
- Bailey
A good location for a castle was on a natural rise, near a cliff, on the bend of a river, or where older fortifications such as Roman wallscould be usefully reused. Castles needed their own water and food supplies and usually a permanent defensive force, additional factors to be considered when choosing a location. Castles were an expensive underta...
The typical features of a medieval castle were: 1. Moat- a perimeter ditch with or without water 2. Barbican- a fortification to protect a gate 3. Curtain Walls & Towers- the perimeter defensive wall 4. Fortified Gatehouse- the main castle entrance 5. Keep(aka Donjon or Great Tower) - the largest tower and best stronghold of the castle 6. Bailey or...
An artificial ditch or moat was dug to surround the entire castle complex and could be filled with water permanently or temporarily during attack in some cases. As creating a moat was a huge undertaking, the presence of natural rises and depressions were important factors in choosing where to build the castle in the first place. The earth or stone ...
The barbican was a defensive fortification built to protect potential weak spots like a gate. Typically consisting of a short stretch of fortified wall, perhaps forming an echelon form, it allowed the defenders to ward off a direct attack on the wall or gate proper. The barbican could be protected by covering fire from the towers behind it and was ...
Walls surrounding the castle proper presented a formidable challenge to attackers. If the foundations were not of rock then they had to be specially prepared to bear the tremendous weight. The most common method was to dig a trench wider than the width of the wall and fill it with rammed stone rubble. Alternatively, oak piles could be driven into t...
The main gate of a castle was potentially one of its weakest points, and for this reason, gates gained more and more protective features over time. Twin towers were built from the end of the 12th century CE with the gate tucked between them and recessed. The gate itself was protected by a heavy wooden door and a portcullis (or even two) - a metalan...
The tower keep or donjon was a multi-storied tower building with especially thick walls and a well-defended entrance, which made it the safest place in the castle when under attack. They began to appear in most castles from the early 12th century CE. A keep could be square or rectangular and often had its own small towers or turrets on top; alterna...
In the inner bailey or courtyard, besides the keep, there could be several other buildings such as granaries, workshops (for blacksmiths, carpenters, weavers and potters), a buttery (for wine and beerstorage), stables, secondary accommodation, and perhaps a space for hunting dogs and birds if in a bigger castle. These structures were built using st...
- Mark Cartwright
Mar 16, 2020 · The origins of medieval castles have been traced to the 9 th and 10 th centuries AD. One of the factors that led to the emergence of these structures is the collapse of the Carolingian Empire, which ruled over Central and Western Europe during its height of power.
- Dhwty
Jun 7, 2024 · by Anton Giuroiu. | Published on: June 7, 2024. Castles are fortified structures built in Europe and Asia from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Period. They served as residences, military bases, administrative centers, and symbols of power for nobles, kings, and lords.
Oct 21, 2014 · Three main reasons why a king or baron wanted to live in a castle: - i. Danger of invasion by enemies from another country. Of the three dangers listed here the threat from civil war or the need to control the population were the main reasons that the majority of castles were built in Europe.
.jpeg&q=Why%20did%20Kings%20build%20castles?&ck=826DFD60A6650015D40CE9B4D52BF33A&idpp=rc&idpview=singleimage&form=rc2idp "Why did Kings build castles?5")
