Are there any motte and bailey castles left?
Are there any motte and bailey castles left?
Between 350 and 450 motte-and-bailey castles are believed to remain today, although the identification of these earthwork remains can be contentious. A small number of motte-and-bailey castles were built outside of northern Europe.
How did motte and bailey castles make Norman rule different from that of the Saxons?
Unlike Anglo-Saxon fortified towns, a Norman motte and bailey castle could be built very quickly, in some cases it only took a few days. William had 8000 men to try and consolidate his power in England. Building motte and bailey castles were an effective way of securing towns that had submitted to his power.
What is the purpose of motte and bailey castles?
Motte and bailey castles were a form of castle structure that enabled the new Norman conquerors of England and Wales to secure areas of land quickly and cheaply. The Normans needed a castle design they could erect quickly to subdue the vanquished Britons.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of motte and bailey castles?
Motte and Bailey Castles
| Advantages quick to build protected by the soldiers | Disadvantages made of wood temporary |
| Evaluation A motte and bailey castle was a way that William the Conqueror could control his land that he had just won. This was only temporary solution though so that is why stone castles started to be built |
How long does it take to build a Motte and Bailey castle?
The motte and bailey castle at Dover took just eight days to build – according to William of Poitiers who was William’s chaplain. Was such a feat possible? Building castles then was very labour intensive.
What replaced castles?
Stone castles replaced the motte and bailey castles but the stone castles also changed over time. Shortly after the Normans invaded England, they began building rectangular stone keeps. The White Tower at the Tower of London was started in 1070.
What are 5 features of Norman castles?
Can’t findeverythingat your castle?
How long would it take to build a Motte and Bailey castle?
What does motte and bailey mean in English?
: a medieval Norman castle consisting of two connecting ditched stockaded mounds with the higher mound surmounted by the keep and the lower one containing barracks and other buildings.
What are the bad things about Motte and Bailey castles?
Another negative thing was that the stone keep castle was square, so the corners could easily be undermined. The enemy would usually send men down a hole, make them tunnel until they reached a corner of the castle, which would cave in due to the weight of the stone castle and make it crumble away.
What was the safest place in a Motte and Bailey castle?
The keep
The keep was the building where the owners of the castle would live. It was the safest place in the castle. The bailey was open, flat ground surrounded by a tall, wooden fence, often topped with spikes.
What are the main features of a motte and bailey castle?
A motte and bailey castle is, as the name suggests, made up of two parts: the motte and the bailey. The motte is a raised mound or earthwork with a stone or wooden keep (a fortified tower) on top . The bailey is a courtyard enclosed and protected by a ditch and a palisade (a wall made from lare wooden stakes).
What animals were kept on a motte and bailey castle?
The bailey would typically contain a hall, stables for the horses and cattle, a chapel, and huts for the nobleman’s people. There were often shops inside the bailey for local merchants. Motte and bailey castles later evolved into Norman castles that evolved later into even better Concentric castles.
How did motte and bailey castles get their name?
Regardless, the name ‘motte and bailey’ derives from the Norman words for ‘mound’ (motte), and ‘enclosure’ (bailey). These words describe the most important aspects of the castles’ design.
What does a motte and bailey castle consist of?
A motte-and-bailey castle was made up of two structures: a motte (a type of mound – often artificial – topped with a wooden or stone structure known as a keep ); and at least one bailey (a fortified enclosure built next to the motte). The term motte-and-bailey is a relatively modern one, and is not medieval in origin.