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Castles
From the earliest Motte & Bailey Castles to the massive stone Fortresses still standing today
2,974 Questions
When was arundel castle first built?
Construction on Arundel Castle began on December 25, 1067, as a motte and bailey structure. According to the source below, it was built in 1068. The original motte and bailey structures were often built within less than a year, so it is believable that it was finished by the end of that year.
What kind of castle did William build?
Why did castles decline at the end of the middle ages?
There were several reasons for the decline in castle-building around the end of the 15th century.
Castles were cold, draughty, uncomfortable places since their primary role was as a stronghold, not as living accommodation. Wealthy nobles wanted huge, magnificent, comfortable living places that would impress others, so they began to build "castles" with less emphasis on defence and more emphasis on comfort. Windows became larger as the price of glass reduced, huge fireplaces and chimneys were incorporated, gardens, arbours and terraces included in the grounds and comfortable rooms became a priority. These "castles" were essentially stately homes and were often impossible to defend, sited more for the picturesque setting rather than for military defensibilty.
Another factor was the development of cannon and mortars. These became gradually larger in scale and capable of destroying castle walls from a distance, or lobbing huge missiles into the castle interior. Stone walls and towers were no match for gunpowder.
Castles were replaced by grand houses and (as defensive structures) by artillery forts equipped with cannon - those built by Henry VIII at Deal and elsewhere are typical. They have very low, curved walls and earthworks to deflect incoming cannonballs and layers of artillery arranged to fire in all directions.
A castle is a fort. It was designed to be a place where people could stay in times of trouble. Typically it had a raised area called a motte, a curtain wall or palisade, and an open area within the wall called a bailey. Early castles were made of wood, and later ones made of stone. The stone castles usually had a large building called a keep, which often looked like a large tower. There was a gate house with a gate that could be easily defended. Often the castle was surrounded by a moat and getting to the gate meant crossing a drawbridge. The moat was often full of water.
There is a link to an article on castles below.
How do you make a medieval breastplate?
go to armour archives and they have patterns so you can make them in metal, its the same prinicple really without the hammering if you are using a diffetent material.
What is dover castle used for now?
You can visit the castle, but it isn't actively used for defense anymore.
It is used as a tourist attraction now.
Why did medieval castles have chapels?
Many did and some didn't. There are a few that only had one corner that was reserved to pray in with a small alter. The Tower of London has a chapel that dates to the Normans. Three masses were said a day and if an area had a large church it took the place of the private chapel.
When was Rochester castle built?
The Great Siege of Rochester Castle began on October 11, 1215. The castle was finally taken on November 30. However, it was due to starvation within the castle since King John had all but eliminated their supply lines.
What is the oldest castle in Portugal?
The oldest castle in Portugal was built by King Ferdinand II in 1842. It was built on the ruins of a monastery that was destroyed during a earthquake that happened in 1755. Built in the Romanticism style, the colors or red and yellow have been restored to their glory. The Pena National Palace is one of Portugal's most visited castles.
What Norman castles are still standing in England?
The Normans built around 500 castles of varies types and size throughout England and Wales after the invasion of England in 1066.
About 90 are still standing, many intact and still occupied and many in a state of ruin.
The link below has more good information about Norman Castles.
Why was Edinburgh castle built?
The castle is an ancient stronghold, and was a royal castle for King David I in the 12th century. The castle has been involved in many historical conflicts. Today, Edinburgh's skyline is dominated by the castle
A labeled diagram of a square keep castle?
they are the carved stone at the top of towers in castles, and they were used so that defenders could fire from the open space and then hide in safety in the closed space. When you normally think of a castle wall, you see the top of the walls with this up and down pattern. this was a parapet.
The Southern Colonies of British North America were the North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, and Virginia, where the first permanent settlement among them was at Jamestown.
The hope of gold, resources, and virgin lands drew English colonists to the Southern Colonies. Their economy was driven by plantations, initially worked by indentured servants, a labor force which was largely replaced in the early 18th century by slaves imported from Africa, except for Georgia, where most plantations were worked by debtors. Colonial South Carolina relied mainly on the Indian slave trade and deerskin trade until the Yamasee War of 1715. Thereafter the colony economy diversified. Rice plantations, and later other cash crops like cotton, worked by African slaves overtook the Indian trade as the colony's economic foundation.
The ports of Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia traded with Great Britain, slave ships from Africa, and the Caribbean. Their cash crops were tobacco, cotton, indigo, rice, and sugar cane. Colony and Dominion of Virginia and Province of Maryland are sometimes considered part of the Southern Colonies.
The first representative legislative body met at Jamestown in 1619, and became known as the House of Burgesses, a precursor to the Virginia General Assembly. Throughout the colonies, the government, subject to the Crown and Royal Governors, was dominated mainly by planters and farmers, and consisted only of men and landowners.
What was the average size of a castle in the middle ages?
the average size was 450,000sq. feet Castles vary immensely in size& importance. Krak des Chevaliers, in Syria for example, is huge. Others were little more than fortified farmhouses. I don't think there is a set pattern or size.
What was a medieval maid's job in the castle?
Some of these women became servants. Some servants helped with crafts in homes and/or nursed the children of their master. Their main jobs were to clean, cook, and do all of the other domestic work
What are 5 of William of Normandy's castles?
Here are the names of 5 castles built by King William I (William the conqueror) : * Warwick castle * Rochester castle * Lincoln castle * Windsor castle * Winchester castle There were also many more castles built by King William I.
Why were castles built on hills?
Better field of view; you can see farther from the top of a hill, also, any attacker would have to come up the hill at you, tiering their army, in addition to your defenders having a greater range granted by firing from a higher elevation. MoreCastles were not always built on hills. Some were built on ordinary countryside and surrounded by moats. Some castles were built on islands. Some were built along the banks of rivers. The point of such placement was to make it difficult to approach the castle with siege towers or to scale the walls with ladders.
Where did a medieval steward live?
A medieval steward was a household or estate manager for a wealthy person or nobleman. He was paid well, but not usually as highly as an attorney, for example. He had to be able to read and write, and to do arithmetic. He managed property, and so might have to inspect the grounds and buildings. He also was likely to manage money, and so would keep track of income, rentals, expenditures, and taxes. He very likely lived in a village or town.
There were stewards for large estates and even countries, and some of these became powerful. Owen Tudor is one example; he was the household manager of Catherine of Valois, the widow of King Henry V, and married her. Their sons rose in power because they were half brothers of King Henry VI, and their grandson, Henry Tudor, became King Henry VII of England. Another example is the Scottish and English Stuart Dynasty, which got its name because it started out as royal stewards.
Which castle did William of Normandy introduce to England?
When William of Normandy took over the throne in England the first type of castle he introduced was the motte and bailey castle. A few years later some of the motte and bailey castles where upgraded to concentric castles.
Did medieval castles have water available on all floors?
Castle Architecture
Bedrooms, Bathing,
and what did they do without indoor plumbing?
Solars and Squints
Castle lords and ladies generally lived in the upper stories of the keep in a room called a solar. These might be divided with partitions, but the main feature of the room would be the bed. The lord's bed would be made with a heavy wooden frame and have a canopy that would be pulled back during daylight hours. Comfort was provided with feather mattresses and springs made from interlaced ropes or staps. These beds would be dismantled taken with the lord when he traveled.
Lords and ladies might have kept separate chambers, each accompanied by their attendants who would sleep on palettes, benches, or small mattresses on the floor.
Medieval furniture included intricately carved wooden chests for clothing and wall pegs to hang robes. A small stool might have been in the room to be used while dressing. Armchairs became popular in the late Middle Ages.
Castle guests, the lord's eldest son and the castle steward would occupy chambers on higher levels. These rooms would be equipped with peepholes calls squints that were used to monitor the activity below.
Tubs and the Bathman
Bathing was done in wooden tubs padded with cloth. Privacy provided by tents or canopies. When the lord traveled, the tub traveled with him, maintained by a bathman who was also responsible for heating the water. In warmer weather the tub might be placed outside near the garden while during the winter the bathing would be done close to a chamber fireplace.
Some castles in the late Middle Ages engineered hot and cold running water to certain rooms in the castle, but these were rare. Other castles had permanent "bath rooms" with tiled floors.
Medieval Garderobes and Gong Farmers
Even the grandest castle didn't have bathroom facilities. Usually latrines or garderobes would be built into a castle wall overhanging the ground or water below. Some garderobes had wooden seats but many were simply carved into the castle stone. These could be quite uncomfortable, especially in the winter! Iron bars were placed on some garderobe chutes to keep invading armies from using them as a point of entry.
Garderobes would be placed near bedchambers and other parts of the castle, some partitioned with screens for privacy, but many were rather exposed. Chamber pots were popular throughout the Middle Ages and straw was used as Medieval toilet paper. Larger castles had dedicated latrine towers, and the person with the unsavory job of emptying the latrine was called a gong farmer.
What were the castle parts in the Middle Ages?
A medieval castle was very complex with many parts. There was a dungeon (dark cell underground), donjon (tower), gatehouse (main entrance with a guard), and a hoarding (gallery with floor slats to drop objects).
How did Castles help William the Conqueror establish his authority?
It help William because people would look up to the castle and rember who was king, it also help him because peasnts would be scared of him and not disobey his orders.
hoped i help :)
William the conqueror built a wooden Motte and Bailey Castle there in 1068. This Motte and Bailey design was replaced with a stone keep castle in 1260. For more details on this question, visit one of the related links below.
