Castles

During medieval times, castles were built to protect land and were difficult to invade. They had high walls, and if conquered, invaders could control the land. Castles were made of timber, stone, or brick. They were built on hills or cliffs for better defense. Castles on islands in rivers or lakes were advantageous. Attacking a castle was challenging, with multiple walls, drawbridges, and missile launchers. Siege engines were used in response. Sieges could last for months. Defenders stored food and had wells for water. Castles were also homes for lords and had facilities for their families. However, castles became less effective as the feudal system faded and canons improved. Section 3.9 Castles, building a castle. During medieval times, castles were built to protect the monarch or lord's land. They had many features such as high walls that made it very difficult for enemies to invade. However, if conquered, castles could then be used by invaders to help control the land they had taken. Castle walls were so effective in the Middle Ages that they were even built around some towns and cities. The first castles appeared in the 11th century. They were usually made from timber and sat on a high mound called a motte, which was surrounded by a ditch. If the castle was near a river, the ditch could be filled with water to create a moat. The innermost tower was called the keep. Palisades and walls, called baileys, helped protect the keep. By the end of the 11th century, timber was replaced with more durable materials such as stone or brick. The easiest place to build a castle was on flat ground. However, castles were often built on hills or cliffs. High positions enabled castle occupants to look out over and control the surrounding countryside. Such positions were also easier to defend because attackers had to advance uphill. There were also great advantages in building castles on islands in rivers or lakes. Castles were built along the Rhine River in Germany to force merchants transporting goods along the river to pay taxes. Such positions also ensured a supply of water to fill a castle's moat and for drinking during long sieges. Now, the definitions on the side there. A motte is a mound upon which a castle was built. A moat is a water-filled defensive ditch surrounding a castle. A keep is the innermost tower of a castle and a palisade is the tall fence made of pointed timber stakes driven into the ground. In source one, the picture there, you have the ruins of Corse Castle in Dorset, England. The square tower is a Norman keep. The destruction was the result of cannon fire during the English Civil War in the mid-17th century. OK, now I'm scrolling down to section 3.9.2, Attacking a Castle. Attacking a castle was no easy task. As the design became more sophisticated, more features were added. For example, concentric curtain walls meant that attackers who broke through one wall were faced with another and were trapped in the space between them. Marienburg Castle in modern-day Poland had five curtain walls. Drawbridges could be lifted above the moat, blocking access to the main gate. All manner of missiles could be launched at attackers, including arrows and rocks. Even boiling oil could be tipped through murder holes in the roof of the gatehouse surrounding the main entrance. In turn, attackers responding by using siege engines, including battering ramps and high-covered siege towers on wheels. It was not unusual for a siege to last many months. Defenders kept an ample supply of food in the castle keep and sunk wells in the inner courtyard to ensure a protected water supply. Now, the definitions on the left-hand side there are concentric means having a common centre, and curtain wall is the outer wall surrounding an inner wall in a castle. Now, Source 2, I'm just going to read through the different annotations on the diagram there. So, Source 2 is a castle under siege, which means that there's fighting happening there. There's someone trying to get into the castle. All right. A is the gatehouse was heavily defended. If attackers got in, defenders could shower them with rocks, red-hot sand or boiling water through a hole in the ceiling called a murder hole. B is a battering ramp made of huge, often-reinforced timber beam would be driven against a castle gate or lower wall to try to break through. In C, battlements lined the top of the castle walls. In D, a castle was often surrounded by a ditch, sometimes filled with sharpened stakes, palisade or water. E, sometimes castle walls sloped outwards at the base. This added strength to the walls and reduced the effectiveness of battering ramps. F, missiles could be dropped on attackers through holes in the floor of the battlements known as match-a-collations. G, the trebuchet introduced to Europe from the Arab world was a type of counter-weighted catapult. It was used to hurl huge rocks weighing up to 90 kilos against castle walls and to toss running animal bodies over the walls. H, the ballista was a giant crossbow that fired flaming bolts over castle walls. I, a mangonel was a type of catapult used to hurl smaller objects, for example, heads, smaller rocks or piles of dung over castle walls. Okay, now I'm just scrolling down to 3.9.3. A lord's home is his castle. The castle may have been a fortress, but it was also a home. A castle was usually owned by a lord or the church. It had all the requirements of a fortress, such as troop quarters, stables and an armory. However, if owned by a lord, it also had facilities for the comfort of his family. By the end of the Middle Ages, castles were no longer as effective or desirable. The feudal system, which until then had encouraged the lord to show his strength by having a castle, was fading. Also, developments in the canon meant that castle walls could no longer protect against invading armies.