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TimeRef.com
  • Episodes
    Episode Index
    Key Dates Timelines
    By Category
    This day in history
  • People
    A..Z List of Medieval People
    Kings and Queens of England Kings of Scotland Kings of France Kings of Denmark Emporers of Byzantine Popes and Antipopes Crusader States and their Rulers
    Family Trees
  • Life
    Life in Medieval Times
    Life in a Castle The Feudal System Country Life and Agriculture Life in a Medieval Town Life in a Religious Community
  • Castles
    Castle Index Page Castle Development
    Early Fortifications Motte and bailey Castles Square Keeps Castle of William the Conqueror Concentric Castles Castles of Edward I
    Castle Siege Tactics Parts of a Castle
    Locations of over 300 Castles
  • Places
    A..Z list of Medieval Buildings 3D Virtual Reconstructions Maps Photographs
    Abbeys and Monasteries Cathedrals Medieval Architecture
  • 3D/VR
    3D Virtual Reconstructions VR Experiences
    Virtual Motte and Bailey Castle Virtual Norman Keep Virtual Siege Engines
    Etal Castle Skenfrith Castle Middleham Castle
    Knights Training
  • More
    Glossary of Terms
    Games Early Access
    Copyright / About TimeRef.com Contact the Author
  1. Home
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Castles
Castles
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Medieval Castle Development Timeline

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The shape, size and purpose of the medieval castle has changed over time. This page describes the changes that took place.

Pre 1000 A.D.

Pre-medieval Castles

  • Iron Age Hill Forts
  • Rocky outcrops
  • Steep slopes and ditches
  • Roman rectangular forts

To avoid being attacked either by fellow humans or wild animals and without the luxury of a stone castle the best defence for Iron Age people was to live somewhere that was difficult for those attackers to get at. This is how primitive people planned their defences. By living somewhere from which they could see attackers coming and somewhere they could easily defend early humans were able to survive.

1000 A.D.

Enclosure Castles

  • Roughly circular enclosure known as a bailey
  • Defensive walls and ditches
  • Small hall-keep for accomodation
  • Mostly wooden or rough stone wall construction

This type of castle is where a Saxon or Norman Lord would live in relative safety from attack where it was deemed less important to build a large keep. The castle consisted of a roughly circular enclosure surrounded by a wooden palisade with a small range of buildings at the center. A gatehouse with drawbridge over a ditch of water-filled moat provided extra protection. In times of trouble the surrounding population could find shelter in the bailey.

Motte and Bailey Castles

  • Earth and timber construction
  • Central stronghold raised on mound (motte)
  • Motte built from scratch or reuse of existing feature
  • Extra ditches around motte
  • Many hundreds built during the Norman Conquest of Britain

The motte and bailey castle is categorised by a large earthen mound known as the motte and a circular or kidney-shaped enclosure known as the bailey. The Normans built many of these castles around England and on the borders of Wales to keep the local inhabitants under their control. Examples of existing castles that started as motte and baileys include Warwick and Windsor.

Examples: Wallingford, Warwick, Windsor

1070 A.D.

Norman Keep Towers

  • Massive square tower with four corner turrets
  • Built in the times of William the Conqueror and William Rufus
  • Extremely thick walls
  • Internally divided into two halves
  • Incorporated rooms for storage and living quarters
  • Also has a built in chapel

William the Conqueror and his master castle builder Gundalf built the massive White Tower in London to dominate the local inhabitants.

Examples: Tower of London, Rochester

Improved Design

  • Easy to undermine at corners
  • Corners had defensive blind spots

Although square keeps were still being built, it became clear that the old design had several problems: -

To overcome these problems the castle designers began to build multi-sides and round keeps. Orford Castle is a very good example of a many sided keep and is still in very good condition.

Examples: Orford, Conisborough, Odiham

1270 A.D.

Concentric Castles

  • Inner and outer curtain walls
  • Inner walls higher than outer walls
  • Multiple gatehouses

A concentric castle consists of an inner ward surrounded by one or more outer walls. If an attacker manages to get past one wall there is still one or more set of walls to get past to get to the centre. An attacker could get trapped between walls and be an easy target for the defenders. The first true concentric castle in Britain was Caerphilly Castle in Wales ordered by Henry III.

Examples: Beaumaris

Edward I - Castles in Wales

Edward I built a series of castles in North Wales along the coast where they could be resupplied by sea. They allowed Edward to conquer Llewelyn ap Gruffyfdd, the Prince of Wales. Each castle had a small town attached to it protected by a enclosing wall.

Examples: Caernarfon, Flint, Conway, Harlech and Hawarden

Siege Methods

Attackers

  • Moats bridged with planks
  • Walls scaled with ladders
  • Seige towers built
  • Undermining of walls
  • Siege engines - trebuchet

Defenders

  • Push ladders away
  • Counter mines
  • Boiling oil and Greek fire

1300 - 1499 A.D.

Fortified Manor Houses

  • Defence less of a priority
  • Designed to impress
  • Crenelations for effect
  • Manor houses
  • Brick construction in 1400s

In these two centuries fewer new castles were built. The King and Barons concentrated on improving the castles they had, making them larger and more comfortable to live in. Those that were built were designed first for luxury and to impress rather than for defence.

Examples: Maxstoke, Nunney, Bodiam, Old Wardour, Hurstmonceaux, Tattershall, Stokesay

Stokesay Castle - a fortified manor house

A Virtual Reconstruction

Stokesay Castle is an excellent example of a fortified manor house. It has remained largely unchanged since the time it was built in the thirteenth century by Lawrence of Ludlow. Lawrence was a wealthy wool trader who built a new hall and tower on the site of an existing fortification. Explore the hall and solar block that he created.

1538 - 1540 A.D.

Coastal Defences

  • Squat and circular
  • Thick walls
  • Several tiers of gun ports
  • No living quarters for lord or family
  • Built to guard important estuaries

The requirement to live in castles in England had passed because the barons and nobles were no longer fighting amongst themselves. But the threat of invasion from France was very real. In the reign of Henry VIII the threat became so great that the King ordered the construction of several new castles along the south coast of England. These are known as the gun-forts of Henry VIII.

Examples: Deal, Walmer, Pendennis, St. Mawes

More castle pages

  • Castle Index Page
  • Why build and live in castles
  • Castle development timeline

Pages in this section

  • Introduction and simple keep example
  • Tower of London plans and 3d model
  • Middleham Castle floor plans
  • Hedingham Castle floor plans
  • Dover Castle floor plans
  • Timeline of Square Keep construction
  • Explore 3d reconstructions

Types of castles

  • Early Fortifications
  • Castles of William the Conqueror
  • Keep and bailey castles
  • Motte and bailey castles
  • Square keeps
  • Shell-Keeps
  • Polygonal Keeps
  • Concentric Castles

Other details

  • Castles of Edward I
  • Medieval Castle Builders
  • Medieval Siege Tactics
  • The Trebuchet
  • Siege Towers
  • Parts of a castle
  • Location of 300+ UK castles
  • Location by UK county

Medieval Castles

  • Why build and live in castles
  • Castle development timeline

Types of castles

  • Early Fortifications
  • Castles of William the Conqueror
  • Earthwork castles
  • Motte and bailey castles
  • Square keeps
  • Shell-Keeps
  • Polygonal Keeps
  • Concentric Castles

Other details

  • Castles of Edward I
  • Medieval Castle Builders
  • Medieval Siege Tactics
  • The Trebuchet
  • Siege Towers
  • Parts of a castle
  • Location of 300+ UK castles
  • Location by UK county

Explore the White Tower

Explore four floors of the keep at the Tower of London.

 

Adventure Game - Early Access

Early Access to the TimeRef card-based Adventure Game.

 

Medieval Village - Early Access

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