The motte is a raised earthwork with a fortified tower, called a keep, on top. A keep could be made of stone or wood. The bailey is an enclosed courtyard surrounded by a palisade with walls made from wooden stakes.
What is the difference between motte and bailey?
The motte was a huge mound with a castle, or keep, built on top. It would have been easy to defend, as people would have had to climb up it slowly to reach the keep. Most mottes were surrounded by a deep ditch to stop attackers. The bailey was a large area of ground, surrounded by a tall, wooden fence.
What is the difference between a motte and bailey castle and a keep and bailey castle?
This consisted of two main components: the motte, an artificial mound atop which was built a fortified tower called a keep, and a bailey, which was an enclosure connected to the motte. Many castles of this type also had a ditch around the bailey.
What were the differences between motte and bailey and stone keep castles?
A motte-and-bailey castle consisted of two parts: a lookout tower and a place for people to live. A stone keep castle was a single dwelling built of rocks, making it harder to burn or attack, and surrounded by a moat.
What is in a motte and bailey castle?
Motte and bailey castles were an early type of castle. An earth mound, or motte, with a tower or lookout on top was built next to a yard, or bailey. A bailey usually contained stables, a hall, workshops, a well, and a chapel. The motte and bailey were protected by a fence called a palisade and surrounded by a ditch.
What does motte stand for?
mound, hill
Definition of motte
: mound, hill especially : a hill serving as a site for a Norman castle in Britain.
What are 3 features of a motte-and-bailey castle?
A motte-and-bailey castle is a European 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 was a toilet called in a castle?
garderobes
In the medieval period luxury castles were built with indoor toilets known as ‘garderobes‘, and the waste dropped into a pit below.
What are the 3 types of castle?
The three main types of castles are the motte and bailey castle, the stone keep castle, and the concentric castle.
What is a bathroom called in a castle?
The term garderobe is also used to refer to a medieval or Renaissance toilet or a close stool. In a medieval castle, a garderobe was usually a simple hole discharging to the outside into a cesspit (akin to a pit latrine) or the moat (like a fish pond toilet), depending on the structure of the building.
What are the weaknesses of a motte and bailey castle?
The major weakness of the motte and bailey castle was the likelihood of the keep rotting or burning down. The solution was to build stone keeps but these could not always be built on the same site since the weight of the stone would sink into the motte.
What are the advantages of a motte?
They could be built extremely quickly, and only needed basic materials for their construction (such as earth, and wood). This meant that they were very cheap to make. Despite being a little rough and ready, they still had excellent defensive capabilities.
What is the purpose of a bailey in a castle?
A bailey is the sturdy wall around a castle that keeps invaders out. The bailey of a medieval castle was usually built of stone. You might see a bailey — or the remains of one — if you tour a castle in England or France.
How many Baileys does a castle have?
Large castles may have two outer baileys; if in line they may form an outer and middle bailey. On the other hand, tower houses lack an enclosed bailey.
Why Motte and Bailey castle were replaced?
The wooden defences of motte and bailey castles were replaced by walls and towers of stone. Why did stone castles replace the motte and bailey castles? The methods of attacking and besieging castles improved over time and so became a need for stronger, more durable (longer lasting) defences.
Is a motte a hill?
Motte and bailey castles were made up of two main parts: A motte otherwise known as a ‘mound’ is a raised hill, this was where the keep was built to house the lord of the manor and his family.
What was the safest place in a Motte and Bailey castle?
It was the safest place in the castle. The bailey was open, flat ground surrounded by a tall, wooden fence, often topped with spikes. Who Built Motte and Bailey Castles? Motte and Bailey castles were built by the Normans.
What is the plural of Motte?
motte (plural mottes)
Is Motte a Scrabble word?
MOTTE is a valid scrabble word.
What were the 2 main reasons castles were built?
The main purpose of castles was to protect the people who lived there from invasions. They were also a status symbol to show other people how important a family was. Many ancient castles still stand in Europe today, and some of them have been home to the same family for many generations.
What is the oldest castle in England?
Windsor Castle
Just to the west of London lies the world’s oldest and largest inhabited castle, having been a royal residence for around 950 years.