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 type of building has a bailey?
A bailey or ward in a fortification is a courtyard enclosed by a curtain wall. In particular, an early type of European castle was known as a motte-and-bailey. Castles can have more than one bailey.
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 motte and bailey in a castle?
The Normans brought with them new forms of military architecture, among the most important of which was the motte 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.
What was the type of castles used by the Normans?
motte and bailey type
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 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’s 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.
What are the 4 main castles?
Use the links below to read through the information on each of the four different types of Medieval castles; Motte and Bailey, Concentric, Shell Keep and Square Keep.
How are castles classified?
Defining characteristics. In its simplest terms, the definition of a castle accepted amongst academics is “a private fortified residence“.
What was the first type of castle called?
Motte and Bailey castles
What were the first castle like? The first proper castles built in England were the Motte and Bailey castles. The term motte and bailey castle comes from Norman French words for mound and enclosed land.
What is a motte in a castle?
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 are 5 features of Norman castles?
- Key Features. Windows.
- Doors. Castle doors had to be reinforced to withstand attack.
- Towers. Crenellated towers are a distinguishing feature of Norman castles.
- Timber. The first of England’s Norman castles were built from wood.
Is a Motte and Bailey castle medieval?
A medieval fortification, which was common in England, Wales and Ireland after the Norman Conquest.
Who built the first castle?
The first castles were built by the Normans
The great age of castles began almost 1,000 years ago and lasted for nearly 500 years. The Normans introduced the first proper castles, starting with the wooden Motte and Bailey castles, to England following their victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
What were the differences between motte and bailey and stone keep castles?
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. Mottes were made from earth and flattened on top.
How was a motte and bailey castle built?
Originally, these castles were constructed from timber and earth alone; they were cheap and easy to build and didn’t require any special design. The fortification consisted of a wooden keep that was placed on a raised earthwork called a motte, overlooking an enclosed courtyard called the bailey.
What is the purpose of a motte?
A motte was an earth mound, forming a defensible raised platform on which a tower – a keep – could be built. The earth for the motte would be taken from around its own base, forming a deep ditch, aiding the builders’ ability to defend.
Did you know facts about motte and bailey castles?
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 are the strengths of a Motte and Bailey castle?
At a glance: advantages of Motte and Bailey castles
- Cheap and easy to build – you could even use an existing mound or hill for foundations.
- Didn’t require and specialist materials – earth and timber were always nearby.
How many castles are left?
There are more than 10,000 medieval castles and their remains in Europe.
How many castles are left in England?
England is said to be home to over 4,000 castles, built many hund reds of years ago and scattered throughout the UK countryside and coastline. Many of the most famous still stand today, acting as a reflection of the countries rich heritage.