What were the first castle like?
A picture of a Motte and Bailey looks like this :
Motte and Bailey Castles were named by two Norman French words for mound and enclosed land.
Motte - mound or 'clod of earth'
Bailey - enclosure.
At the time when the Normans invaded it was believed that almost as many as 1000 Motte and Bailey castles were all over England alone.
How were Motte and Bailey Castles built?
The most important part of the Motte and Bailey castle was the keep. It was built on top of the Motte and could range in size from 25 feet to over 80 feet high. The sides of the Motte were purposely made steep so that in an attack it would be impossible for the enemy to run up them in one go. Then for even more protection, a deep ditch was dug around the bottom of the Motte. At the bottom of the Motte was the Bailey. The Bailey varied in size from 1 acre to as big as 3 acres. The Bailey was the home of the kings followers - i.e. the people who ran the castle. There were many buildings inside the Bailey. Some of these included stables, storehouse, bakeries, kitchens, houses and quarters for soldiers.
A strong wooden fence called a palisade surrounded the buildings and the bailey was surrounded by a ditch, called a fosse. Windsor Castle was the first motte and Bailey castle. Many of England's existing castles began as motte and bailey castles.
A Palisade :
What were the advantages of Motte and Bailey castles?
- They were cheap and quick to build
- Excellent defense because of the steep Motte
- Well designed so that everything was easy to get at for them but hard for the enemy
- Wooden castles were not very strong
- Wood burns easily
- Easier for the attackers to use a Battering ram.
