What are stone keep castle facts?

The keep (also known as a donjon) was a tower which was surrounded by a stone wall, often three metres thick. Stone keep castles were also known as square keep castles, since they were often square in shape. Their square shape made them easy to construct quickly.

Why was stone keep castle built?

Stone castles were built taller and gave better protection against attack, fire and cold rainy weather. Stone castles replaced the motte and bailey castles but the stone castles also changed over time. The rectangular Keep. Shortly after the Normans invaded England, they began building rectangular stone keeps.

What are the advantages of stone keep castles?

Stone castles had a number of advantages over wooden motte and bailey structures:

• They could be built inside the walls of the motte and bailey castle, this meant that the castle was still operational whilst it was being rebuilt.
• Unlike a wooden castle the new stone keeps did not rot or go up in flames.

How long is a stone keep castle lesson?

This is a 25 minute lesson that got me a job at an outstanding school. It begins with some background information about the Normans and why they built castles, and then describes the differences between the motte and bailey and the stone keep castles. The three different worksheets are differentiated.

What was the main feature of a stone castle?

This type of stone keep castl soon replaced the Motte and Bailey castles as it offered a better form of defense. A stone keep was the central feature, with thick walls and few windows. Entrance to the keep was by stone steps leading to the first floor. The kitchens were situated on the ground floor while living quarters were on the upper floors.

Which is the most famous stone keep in the world?

Over 80 were built, including Windsor Castle, Lincoln Castle, Nottingham Castle and Warwick Castle. The White Tower at the Tower of London is one of the most famous stone keeps.

How tall are the walls of a castle?

The walls of the stone castles could be as thick as 33 feet. Once the cannon was created, no castles could stand that kind of attack. The cannonballs could easily destroy the stone walls no matter how thick they were. At the bottom of the motte was the bailey.