Where were castles built and why?

Answer 1

There is no definite answer as it depends on the conditions; for example:

The King/Queen/lord/baron wants to save his/her citizens, so they build castles to protect them.they were also built like motte and baileys only to protect royalty

castles was built anywhere the commander wanted his men to build him the castles.

Castles were also built for its defentive features and to help protect the people if the king/queen/lord/barcon wants to.

'Proper' castles, as in those built for military purposes, were usually built to guard strategic areas and provide a base of operations for forays into enemy territory. Other considerations were also important, such as making use of natural defenses such as hills or cliffs (it is not a coincidence that so many castles were found on hills or cliffs, as the high ground and difficult terrain was crucial to their defence), and logistical concerns played a large part - a castle that could be easily resupplied was a difficult castle to siege.

The best examples of strategic castle placements are probably those built by Edward I during his campaigns in Wales. Beaumaris, Conway, Harlech and Caernarfon Castles were notable parts of his 'Iron Ring' designed to secure his hold on Wales. They were placed at roughly equidistant points around the Welsh coast, particularly in the north, to contain and control the uprising Welsh people. Their locations near the coast allowed them to be resupplied by sea, virtually eliminating the risk of a successful siege attempt, while castles such as Conway and Harlech made good use of natural fortifications to make them more difficult to assault. Caernarfon in particular guarded a strategic area, built as it was to guard the Menai Strait.

The psychological impact of castles such as these was not to be underestimated either. Edward I placed several castles as a means to increase pro-English feelings in particular areas. Caernarfon, its formidable walls being brilliant-white at the time of their construction, stood as a symbol of English might in the region.

As another important point, many castles - including many of the castles in the Iron Ring - were built on the sites of previous castles, somewhat reducing the amount of work needed to be done.

Over time, as the military effectiveness of castles was eroded by new weapons such as the cannon, castles were built less for practical reasons and more for vanity and status, by nobles with money wishing to have palatial residences that looked like castles, but had none of their defensive abilities.

Answer 2

There is no definite answer as it depends on the conditions; for example:

The King/Queen/lord/baron wants to save his/her citizens, so they build castles to protect them.they were also built like motte and baileys only to protect royalty

castles was built anywhere the commander wanted his men to build him the castles.

Castles were also built for its defentive features and to help protect the people if the king/queen/lord/barcon wants to.

'Proper' castles, as in those built for military purposes, were usually built to guard strategic areas and provide a base of operations for forays into enemy territory. Other considerations were also important, such as making use of natural defenses such as hills or cliffs (it is not a coincidence that so many castles were found on hills or cliffs, as the high ground and difficult terrain was crucial to their defence), and logistical concerns played a large part - a castle that could be easily resupplied was a difficult castle to siege.

The best examples of strategic castle placements are probably those built by Edward I during his campaigns in Wales. Beaumaris, Conway, Harlech and Caernarfon Castles were notable parts of his 'Iron Ring' designed to secure his hold on Wales. They were placed at roughly equidistant points around the Welsh coast, particularly in the north, to contain and control the uprising Welsh people. Their locations near the coast allowed them to be resupplied by sea, virtually eliminating the risk of a successful siege attempt, while castles such as Conway and Harlech made good use of natural fortifications to make them more difficult to assault. Caernarfon in particular guarded a strategic area, built as it was to guard the Menai Strait.

The psychological impact of castles such as these was not to be underestimated either. Edward I placed several castles as a means to increase pro-English feelings in particular areas. Caernarfon, its formidable walls being brilliant-white at the time of their construction, stood as a symbol of English might in the region.

As another important point, many castles - including many of the castles in the Iron Ring - were built on the sites of previous castles, somewhat reducing the amount of work needed to be done.

Over time, as the military effectiveness of castles was eroded by new weapons such as the cannon, castles were built less for practical reasons and more for vanity and status, by nobles with money wishing to have palatial residences that looked like castles, but had none of their defensive abilities.

Answer 3

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