What is the difference between motte and bailey and stone keep castles?

Answer 1

Motte and Bailey Castles are created on a raised mound which is either natural in formation or built. At the top perimeter of the mound a wooden post fence is built and within this enclosure there is usually a watch tower built. The design probably dates back as far as the neolithic period when hill forts were constructed to protect towns.

These type of castles are temporary in nature unlike the stone keep castle which as its name implies is made of more permanent materials and is surrounded by a stone wall. Later versions of stone walled castles employed such structures as gatehouses, moats keeps and watchtowers, including the grander ones having both inner and outer courtyards.

Answer 2

· A stone castle would not rot whereas a Motte and Bailey would rot easily as it was made from wood.

· Motte and Bailey castles could be knocked down with battering rams, but they would not penetrate a stone castle.

· Stone castles had battlements which gave defenders something solid to hide behind, Motte and Bailey had no such thing.

· The round towers on a stone castle were thought to bounce of any type of missile but they would destroy a stone keep.

· Motte and Bailey castles were very prone to rotting and decay, but Stone castles would not rot or decay.

· Stone Keeps could not be burnt down very easily as they were made of stone whereas Motte and Bailey castles could be incinerated very easily as they were made of wood.

· Stone castles have high up towers enabling the defenders to fire arrows down at the enemy but the enemy could not fire back, Motte and Bailey castles do not have high enough towers to do this.

Answer 3

The motte and bailey design was one type of medieval castle. Any type of castle that was built during the medieval period of history (which I would estimate as being roughly the year 400 AD to 1600 AD) qualifies as a medieval castle.

Answer 4

a Motte and Bailey castle is made on top of a hill (Motte) and the Bailey is where the village stay during attack. However a stone castle is basically made from stone.

Answer 5

stone castles are stone and motte and bailey castles are wood and easy to build