Castles: Reasons, Features And Importance Flashcards
When did William start building castles and how do we know this ?
Since he first landed as it’s depicted in the Bayeux tapestry
What where the castles called ?
Motte and Bailey castles
What where two features of motte and Bailey castles ?
A motte- mind if earth, most weren’t very high with 70% being less than 5 meters tall
Wooden tower- wood used for speed of building and usually a plentiful resource, many later where rebuilt with stone
Extra: Bailey- a fence around the motte usually full of buildings
What was an issue with motte and Bailey castles ? Very obvious think time
Many where built in the early stages however they take a great deal of earth and resources so many where very basic at the start of the Norman take over in 1066
Did castles play a part in William conquest of England ?
Yes they played a major part
They used the castles to dominate over 2 million English people
What where the castles used for ?
Used castles as bases for controlling the local area
Riding out to deal with trouble and to retreat to if attacked
Also enabled the Norman’s to store their horses more effectively than before
Why was being able to store the hourses effectively a big deal ?
They where a crucial part of their equipment due to knights on hourseback being very deadly
Without horses they had far less of an advantage over the local English population
Why where they important ? If so how do we know
Built on borders and the coast to stop attacks however
Most where built in towns where they could dominate the large number of people
They where so important that the Norman’s destroyed local houses to build them as records in the doomsday book states 166 houses in Lincoln where destroyed to build them
What other way could castles be used to intimidated the local population ?
Civilians were used to build them mainly from the towns which could physiologically impact them as it sent out the message that the Norman’s had taken control and rebellion was pointless
