How were castles actually built?

Answer 1

The stone normally depended on the area. Granite, Limestone, sandstone. Castle walls were rarely solid stone all the way through. There was an inner and outer wall of "ashlar"(finished stone) and the infill would be "rubble" bonded together with lime mortar. "Rubble" does not mean inferior, it means uneven sizes and shapes. Lime mortar was used for foxing all the stones, and was made up on site. Wooden scaffolding would be erected, with horizontal beams or "putlogs" pushed into prepared holes in the wall, and boards laid across them. These holes were filled in after the scaffolding was removed, but over time it fell out. This is why castle walls have these small square holes in them. They are the "putlog holes". If it was a Royal Castle, then the King could bring in specialists from all over the country. This was done by King Edward I as he built his ring of castles in Wales. Some of his castles were built in three years, others took longer. You have to consider that these castles were also being built in a War Zone, and the builders were sometimes attacked. Nevertheless, virtually all of the castles that Edward had built are still standing, although mostly in a ruined state. Other castles around Britain are still lived in, but expensive to keep warm.