What was the nature and purpose of Norman castles? Flashcards
What were castles in England like (pre Normans)?
They were built in Herefordshire
They were used by a Norman friend of Edward the Confessor
He built 3 based on the model used in Normandy
The Normans had been using them for 200 years
What are the key features of a motte and bailey castle?
Keep- tower on top of mound used for lookout Motte- the mound Moat- ditch around the castle Bailey- enclosure with huts Palisade- wooden fence around the bailey
What were the first castles that William built in England like and what was their purpose?
The earliest were in Kent and they were ringworks
The purpose was to defend the normans and establish control over the english
They were centres from which the normans could raid the local area
The English were forced to build them and they became a hated symbol of foreign rule
Where were Motte and Bailey castles built?
A string of castles were built in Kent to protect the route from the coast to London
Castles were built in areas where there had been resistance
Some castles were built on ancient roman and saxon sites
Before 1070 most were built by the King
After 1070 most were built by lords
How might the purpose of the castles built by the king differ from those built by lords?
The early castles built by the king were to help conquer England
The later ones built by lords were to protect the norman settlement in England
Lords often built impressive castles to show off their status and wealth rather than to protect against rebellion- rebellion had stopped by 1071
What is the traditionalist view of the purpose of Norman castles?
Believe motte and bailey castles were militaristic in purpose. This view was popular in the early twentieth century when war was also common
What is the revisionist view of norman castles?
View based on archaeology which was popular in the 1960s
Showed that Norman castles were based on anglo-saxon ringworks and so not that new
Also showed that norman castles were not as strong as once thought and so were more for status than defence
What are the recent views of Norman castles?
Believes that castles were an important part of the Norman military machine and were deliberately located near to settlement that needed to be controlled
They looked at studies of the landscape to form this view
Why was the White Tower of London built?
Built by William
Stone keep castle- not a motte and bailey
Military fortress, palace and centre of government
