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 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.
What does a motte look like?
The Motte (the word derives from Old French) was a large earthen mound with a ditch surrounding its base. It was often artificial, meaning it had to be built by piling up earth, but sometimes it incorporated a pre-existing feature of the landscape, such as a nearby hill.
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 is a medieval motte?
The ‘motte’ was made up of a large mound of earth with a wooden tower on top, while the ‘bailey’ was a large ditch and bank enclosure which surrounded the motte. These timber castles were quite cheap and very quick to build.
Why did castles have a motte?
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.
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.
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.
How big is a motte?
The size of mottes varied considerably, with these mounds being 3 metres to 30 metres in height (10 feet to 100 feet), and from 30 to 90 metres (100 to 300 ft) in diameter. This minimum height of 3 metres (10 feet) for mottes is usually intended to exclude smaller mounds which often had non-military purposes.
What is a motte made of?
All matter consists of atoms, which, in turn, consist of protons, neutrons and electrons. Both protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus, which is at the center of an atom. Protons are positively charged particles, while neutrons are neutrally charged.
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 4 parts of a castle?
Motte – An earthwork mound on which a castle was built. Mullions – The vertical divisions of stone or wood between the lights of windows. Oriel – Projecting room on an upper floor. Outer Curtain – The wall which enclosed the outer ward.
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 are the teeth on a castle called?
Crenellations are one of the most recognizable elements of a medieval castle. These upright projections resemble teeth, bared at invaders to prevent their attempted entries and at allies to show the owner’s strength. Each upright section is called a merlon or crenel, and they protected defenders from attacks.
What are stairs called in a castle?
mural stairs
Although some very basic castles may have relied on internal wooden stairs leading from one floor to another, most staircases were accommodated inside the walls – thus they are called mural stairs.
Why did the motte stop being used?
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.
Why are castles no longer used?
After the 16th century, castles declined as a mode of defense, mostly because of the invention and improvement of heavy cannons and mortars. This artillery could throw heavy cannonballs with so much force that even strong curtain walls could not hold up.
Why are castles not used anymore?
Castles were great defences against the enemy. However, when gunpowder was invented the castles stopped being an effective form of defence. By the end of the 1300s gunpowder was widely in use. The medieval castle with its high vertical walls was no longer the invincible fortification it had been.
Why do castles have so many bedrooms?
As the seat of power for lords and monarchs, medieval castles were often large enough to house a considerable staff, as well as members of the court and important guests. As a result, they needed a series of rooms, not just residential chambers like bedrooms, but functional spaces too such as kitchens and stores.
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.
Who invented a motte and bailey castle?
The Normans from France, introduced the Motte and Bailey castle to England, when they invaded the country in 1066. It is believed that as many as 1000 Motte and Bailey Castles were built in England by the Normans.