How did William the Conqueror use motte and bailey castles?
Wooden motte and bailey castles helped William to quickly control the English BUT they burned easily and they rotted. Later castles were built from stone. These stone castles were impressive and showed everyone the baron was in charge and it was also a safe place from which to rule the local area.
How many motte and bailey castles did William built?
700 motte and bailey castles
As a result, from 1066 to 1087 William and the Normans built nearly 700 motte and bailey castles across England and Wales. These castles, which were relatively quick to build, but difficult to capture, formed a key part of William’s strategy for controlling his new domain.
What types of castles did William the Conqueror build?
Initially, most of William’s castles were simple wooden motte-and-bailey constructions, but they were soon converted to highly impressive stone keep castles, complete with the latest Romanesque architecture.
What are the features of motte and bailey castles?
The castle is made up of two parts. The motte is a raised mound or earthwork which would have a stone or wooden keep on top. A keep is a kind fortified tower. The bailey is an enclosed courtyard that was protected by a ditch and a palisade – which is a wall made from wooden stakes.
How long would it take to build a motte and bailey castle?
The motte and bailey castle at Dover took just eight days to build – according to William of Poitiers who was William’s chaplain.
What was a bailey used for?
The bailey is where followers of the lord of the castle lived. Many building would be built inside the bailey for stables, kitchens, houses, soldiers quarters, bakeries, and storehouses. The bailey was designed to be defended by archers.
What are the disadvantages of concentric castles?
At a glance: the disadvantages of concentric castles
- They were phenomenally expensive to build – this can’t be overstated!
- They took significant time to build – they needed years, rather than just weeks for basic motte-and-bailey castle.
How many men were needed to build a motte and bailey castle?
Unlike Anglo-Saxon fortified towns, a Norman motte and bailey castle could be built very quickly, in some cases it only took a few days. William had 8000 men to try and consolidate his power in England.
What was the old motte and Bailey used for?
Notably, at Windsor Castle, the former motte and bailey was renovated in the 19th century, and is now used as an archive for royal documents. In Durham Castle, the stone tower on the old motte is used as student accommodation for members of the university.
How did William keep control of England with castles?
Unlike Anglo-Saxon fortified towns, a Norman motte and bailey castle could be built very quickly, in some cases it only took a few days. William had 8000 men to try and consolidate his power in England. Building motte and bailey castles were an effective way of securing towns that had submitted to his power.
Where did the Vikings build the motte and bailey castles?
Some of the Vikings eventually stayed in northern France and the Norsemen became the Normans. They had been impressed with the French castellans and adopted them; the most popular design was the motte and bailey. In these castles, there was a fortified building (the castle) on top of a man-made hill called a motte.