Medieval Castles The largest in England,  Windsor Castle is one of the principal residences of the queen and covers nearly thirteen acres. The first castle on the site was set up by William the Conqueror in about 1070.

Caerphilly Castle is one of the great medieval castles of western Europe. Several factors give it this pre-eminence - its immense size (1.2h), making it the largest in Britain after Windsor, its large-scale use of water for defence and the fact that it is the first truly concentric castle in Britain. Of the time of its building in the late 13th century, it was a revolutionary masterpiece of military planning

Europe in the Middle Ages During Medieval times (1066 – 1400), Europe was divided into many small nation-states. Conflicts were common. Castles played a central role during this time.

Castles and Kings Castles were not just used by the king. Most castles were granted by a king to their most loyal subjects, knights or barons, who fought in battle and supported their king. The king, starting with William the Conqueror, would give his knights huge estates and permission to build castles. In return, he expected these men (most of whom were given the titles of earl or lord) to control their lands as the king's representative, to keep the local population from rebelling, and to force them to work and pay rent to the lord (who then passed it onto the king).

Castle’s Function In times of war, the castle served as the base and helped the king or nobleman defend his lands. The castle served as home, barracks, armory, storehouse, prison, treasury, and administrative center.

Early Castles The first castles that were constructed were not the palaces as we know today. They were defensive walls built around a city for protection from enemies.

Motte and Bailey Castles At first, simple wooden homes sat atop a hill or an artificial mound called a motte. The bailey was the courtyard within the walls of the castle. Ideally, the structures were built on sites that commanded a view of the countryside. Twthill Motte Twthill Motte, north Wales

Here we have an example of an early motte, late 11thC/early 12thC Here we have an example of an early motte, late 11thC/early 12thC. Although stone buildings have been built upon it, the motte & ditch are still clearly seen. The castle had two baileys in which extra buildings lay. Yorkshire SE 8084.

Sandal (SE 3318), also in Yotkshire, was once covered with 6 acres of earth & scrub. A project lasting from 1963 until 1973, uncovered a stunning example of a motte & bailey castle converted to stone. Huge banks & ditches can now be seen.

Later Castles Through time, castles evolved into fortresses of great strength and were used for military strategy. These new kinds of castles were built of large, thick stone, and had many walls and towers.

Concentric Castles Concentric castles would have two circuits of walls and flanking towers. The inner wall would be higher than the outer. Concentric castles were the hallmark of Edward I and his castle builder, James of St George. The design, which created identical or nearly identical curtain walls and towers, created a symmetry that made the castle easily defensible by a surprisingly small number of men. Beaumaris Castle in north Wales is considered the ultimate castle of this type.

Historical Significance Because of their military function, castles gained a political purpose. They were the homes of the kings, queens, and other royalty who ruled the land. Over time, wealthy landowners were known to construct castles, even if they did not belong to royalty.

Moats Water, or a wide ditch, very often surrounded the castles.

Turrets and Towers A castle turret was a small tower rising above and resting on one of the main towers, usually used as a look out point. A castle turret is a small tower rising above and resting on one of the main towers, usually used as a look out point. The triple-turret Eagle Tower at Caernarfon Castle (right) is a famous Welsh landmark.

Battlements A narrow wall built along the outer edge of the wall walk to protect soldiers against attack. Battlements (or crenellation) are the parapets of towers or walls with indentations or openings (embrasures or crenelles) alternating with solid projections. Merlons are the saw-tooth effect or the "teeth" of the battlements, such as those from Dinefwr Castle, shown at right.

Merlon - Battlements Battlements (or crenellation) are the parapets of towers or walls with indentations or openings alternating with solid projections. Merlons are the saw-tooth effect or the "teeth" of the battlements.

Wall Walks High at the top of the castle, fighting platforms were built. Knights had the ability to shoot arrows at the enemy from an advantageous spot. Wall Walks were an important security feature in medieval castles. They made it easy to move quickly between towers and allowed the garrison to better defend the castle. Sentries could keep watch for approaching enemies from their high position, and defenders could use the wall walks as a fighting platform from which attackers could be repulsed. Pictured above is the wall walk at Dinefwr Castle.

Gate House The castle gatehouse was the complex of towers, bridges, and barriers built to protect each entrance through a castle or town wall. The castle gatehouse was the complex of towers, bridges, and barriers built to protect each entrance through a castle or town wall. Shown is the impressive gatehouse complex at Kidwelly Castle.

Arrow Slits A narrow vertical slit cut into a wall through which arrows could be fired from inside. Arrow-loops or arrow-slits were narrow openings or crosses set inside walls and towers enabling defenders to launch arrows at potential attackers from outside. After gunpowder was introduced, round openings were often added to accommodate firearms. The arrow-loop shown at right from Castell Carreg Cennen is just one of many varieties found throughout Britain.

Keep The inner stronghold of the castle was called the keep. The Keep was the inner stronghold of the castle. It was either square or round, like the impressive keep found at Hopton Castle (above). The keep was the center of castle life, often serving as the lord's residence, and was usually the place of last refuge when defending the castle.

Stairways The stairways were built upon spiral vaults, winding around a central newel. This spiral stairway turned on the right as it ascended, so that those defending from above would have the greatest space in which to use their sword arm.

Important Points about Castle Structure: Large and great defensive strength Surrounded by a wall with a fighting platform Usually had a large, strong tower