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Castles

The Motte and Bailey Castle

The building of these castles helped the Normans prevent the English counter attacks and rebellions from being successful. The type of castle used at this time was known as the motte and bailey castle.

The motte was a hill, either natural, man-made or a combination of these, on which the main fortified building or tower would stand. A motte would generally range from about forty feet high to approaching one hundred feet in height and the sloping surface was built-up with layers of rocks and earth to stabilize the soil in the steeply angled mound. There would generally be a timber staircase which would be removed if the motte was under attack. There would be a palisade and a ditch around the base of the motte as further barriers against invaders. The tower or keep would usually be the residence of the nobleman or leader of that community, although under siege all of that community would retreat to within the keep.

At a distance around the motte was the bailey which was the area where the ordinary members of the community would live and work. The area of the bailey could be several hundred feet in each direction although they were normally kept to the minimum size possible to accommodate the necessary buildings; as the larger the bailey the harder it was to defend. Around the perimeter was the stockade fence and around that fence or palisade was a further ditch. The ditches to the motte and the bailey were quite substantial, with the materials from the ditches being used to construct the motte. If the castle was constructed near a river or stream then it would be possible to fill the ditches with water, as an additional barrier against attackers. Inhabitants of the castle would be able to cross the ditches by means of a removable bridge or a drawbridge. At intervals around the inside of the palisade would probably be platforms for the inhabitants of the castle to keep a lookout and to defend.

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Castles were a principal feature of medieval warfare and society, as well as featuring in many historical legends and myths which emanated from England and Europe generally. Take a look at this section to learn the outline of how and why the idea of the castle originated and evolved.