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.

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Let’s look at castles!

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

Camelot King Arthur’s castle was known as Camelot. There are a number of real castles associated with Arthurian England.

King Arthur’s alleged birthplace – Tintagel Castle

Manzanares el Real Manzanares el Real Castle, combining the solidarity of a large fortress of the low Middle Ages and the elegance of a Renaissance residence, is a proud symbol of one of the most powerful families in Castilla during the XIV and XV centuries, the Mendozas. The Palace Castle, which the Duques del Infantado had built during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, is located near Madrid and set in the breathtaking rocky landscape between La Pedriza and Santillana reservoir. Carefully reconstructed, Manzanares Castle offers examples of late Gothic and Mudejar architecture, Moorish and Renaissance details, as well as furniture, tapestries, Armour and objects from different historical periods.

Chateau-Gaillard Impressive stronghold of the 12th C., built by Richard the Lionheart, King of England and Duke of Normandy. Erected in one year on a hill commanding the river Seine at the Andelys meander, Chateau Gaillard was the key building of the vast defence system closing the access to Normandy. During the Wars of Religion, after a two year siege, Henri IV overpowered Chateau-Gaillard and had it demolished.

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Questions What was a castle’s purpose? Who lived inside a castle? How many castles do you know? Can you name them? Can you describe what these castles all have in common?

Definition The Oxford English Dictionary defines a castle as “A (usually large) fortified building or set of buildings; a stronghold; a mansion that was once such.”

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

So exactly how were they built So exactly how were they built? By digging a deep circular ditch, and piling up the earth taken from the ditch into the centre. That became the motte. Sometimes, the motte began as a natural hill, which was shaped into a usable mound and surrounded by a ditch. Heights of mottes varied from 10 feet to 100 feet and their basal diameters from 100 to 300 feet. When workers had completed building the mound, they then covered its slopes with an outer layer of clay or sometimes the sides of the mound were strengthened with timber supports or some stone to prevent uneven settlement and slippage, which is probably why so many have survived. Motte shapes could be round, oval, or angular. Baileys are associated with motte castles. They were large areas of additional space adjacent to the motte which were enclosed with a circular earthwork, a mound lower than the motte. The bailey was built in much the same manner as the motte, only was much larger around but lower in height. Most of the domestic buildings for the castle would be placed in the bailey, including the stable, hall, kitchen, chapel and workshop. Even weapons were stored here for safe keeping. Some larger castles had an inner and outer bailey, and most baileys were either circular, oval or square in shape. Bailey shapes could be circular, oval, triangular, quadrilateral, lobed, or polygonal.

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.

“License to Crenellate” When a landowner decided to ask permission from the king to build a castle or convert his house into one, a “license to crenellate” was sometimes granted. In 1281, King Edward I granted this one: Our beloved and faithful Stephen of Penchester and Margaret his wife to fortify and crenellate their home at Allington in the county of Kent with a wall of stone and lime, and that they and their heirs may hold it for ever. Witnessed by myself at Westminster on the twenty-third day of May in the ninth year of our reign. Crenellate – build battlements on a castle wall. Under Norman rule, noble men could not build castles without the monarchs's permission. To do so would invite royal displeasure, and leave the impression that the nobleman might be a threat to the crown. Feudal custom limited the extent and strength of private fortification, and by the 12th century the crenellation or battlementing distinguished a castle from a manor house. A structure would be forfeited to the monarchy if not authorized. In 1150 there were an estimated 1,115 unlicensed castles in Britain. Formal permission was granted by a "license to crenellate." A license to build a castle was sometimes granted by someone other than the king, such as a bishop. The date of the license is not necessarily the actual date of the castle building. The first license to crenellate, or build a new castle, was possibly for Bishopton Castle (1143) though earlier licenses gave permission to strengthen an existing castle. The last license was granted to Sir William Fitzwilliam for Cowdray Castle (1533). Afterwards, the age of castles came to an end.

Castle Construction and Protection

How were the castles constructed? Questions to Consider How were the castles constructed? How does the construction influence the buildings' function and appearance?

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

Drawbridge A wooden bridge that led to a gateway and was capable of being raised or lowered. A drawbridge was a wooden bridge leading to a gateway, capable of being raised or lowered to either accommodate or prevent entry into the castle, and often spanned a ditch or moat. The fixed bridge at Montgomery Castle (right) gives some you idea of this feature.

Drawbridges were hinged on the inner side and by means of chains attached to the outer side and pulleys raised them up until they stood vertically against the face of the gate and formed an additional barrier to the passage.

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.

Stone Buildings

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

A Castle's Function: Fortress and military protection Center of local government Home of the owner, usually a king

Homework What materials do we need to build a replica of a castle? How will math be involved? Be SPECIFIC!