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TimeRef.com
  • Episodes
    Episode Index
    Key Dates Timelines
    By Category
    This day in history
  • People
    A..Z List of Medieval People
    Kings and Queens of England Kings of Scotland Kings of France Kings of Denmark Emporers of Byzantine Popes and Antipopes Crusader States and their Rulers
    Family Trees
  • Life
    Life in Medieval Times
    Life in a Castle The Feudal System Country Life and Agriculture Life in a Medieval Town Life in a Religious Community
  • Castles
    Castle Index Page Castle Development
    Early Fortifications Motte and bailey Castles Square Keeps Castles of William the Conqueror Concentric Castles Castles of Edward I
    Castle Siege Tactics Parts of a Castle
    Locations of over 300 Castles
  • Places
    A..Z list of Medieval Buildings 3D Virtual Reconstructions Maps Photographs
    Abbeys and Monasteries Cathedrals Medieval Architecture
  • 3D/VR
    3D Virtual Reconstructions VR Experiences
    Virtual Motte and Bailey Castle Virtual Norman Keep Virtual Siege Engines
    Bodiam Castle Skenfrith Castle Middleham Castle The White Tower Etal Castle
    Knights Training
  • More
    Glossary of Terms
    Games Early Access
    Copyright / About TimeRef.com Contact the Author

Medieval Castles

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  • Early Fortifications
  • Castles of William the Conqueror
  • Keep and bailey castles
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  • Square keeps
  • Shell-Keeps
  • Polygonal Keeps
  • Concentric Castles

Other details

  • Castles of Edward I
  • Medieval Castle Builders
  • Medieval Siege Tactics
  • The Trebuchet
  • Siege Towers
  • Parts of a castle
  • Location of 300+ UK castles
  • Location by UK county
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Castles of William the Conqueror

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  • Repairs to existing Roman fortifications
  • Prefabricated Castles
  • Motte and Bailey Castles

s soon as William the Conqueror arrived in England in 1066 he started building castles. At first they would have been temporary constructions designed to offer some protection for the army that he had brought with him from Normandy. William may have also brought over prefabricated castles from Normandy that could be assembled where needed.


A Motte and Bailey Castle
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At Pevensey, where he first landed, an existing but run-down fortification built by the Romans was quickly strengthened to provide a secure first base. At Hastings a motte and bailey castle was possibly constructed and again at Dover the existing Roman fort was refortified.

 

William marched around the south coast of England via Dover to Canterbury which surrendered to him. From there he attempted to enter London but was forced back. He then encircled London, taking control of the towns around it. At Wallingford, a crossing point of the Thames, he built another castle. He built another at Berkhampstead before London finally surrendered. After becoming King William marched across the south of England building castles and taking control. At Exeter he had to lay siege to the town until an agreement was reached. He then built a castle there.

Castles built in the reign of William the Conqueror

As the Normans spread out to conquer their new lands, they chose to build their motte and bailey castles in locations where they could be on hand to put down revolts. They built inside or near existing towns, usually on high ground or where there was a good water supply. In the early years the Normans heavy handedly cleared whatever was in their way to build where they wanted, knocking down housing and striping local areas of building materials. Later on when their position was more secure, land was bought or swapped for other areas.

When looking at a map of Norman castles, it can be seen that there is a concentration of sites on the Welsh borders. This probably shows that the Normans had problems controlling their Welsh neighbours and had to keep a watchful eye on them.

Records do not exist showing the exact number of castles that were built by the Normans after they invaded but there must have been hundreds.

Castles ordered by William

William the Conqueror ordered the construction of several castles himself.

ColchesterCorfeExeterHastings
HuntingdonLincolnNottinghamStafford
Tower of LondonWallingfordWarwickWindsor

Motte and Bailey castles

The Bayeux Tapestry shows several castles. These look like motte and bailey castles with a mound and a fort on the top. One of the castles is being attacked and set alight. Fire was a major problem for castles built from wood.

The designers of these early castles built wooden towers on the top of a mound for protection. They either used an existing mound where one was available, enlarged an existing natural hill or more usually built their own mound on which they then constructed the tower or keep. At the top of the mound, around its edge, they built a wooden wall or palisade. The mound, now known as a motte, was usually surrounded by a ditch which in some cases could be filled with water. At the foot of the motte was built a normally oval-shaped enclosure known as a bailey that had a palisade and a ditch of its own. The motte was usually placed to one side of the bailey rather than in the centre. Some castles had more than one bailey. An example of this type can be seen at Windsor which has the motte at the centre of two large baileys.

 

Castles mentioned in the Domesday Book

The Domesday book lists around 48 or 49 castles at the time of it's compilation. The list was probably incomplete. (List taken from 'The English Castles' E.B.D'Auvergne). Dates are approximate.

Arundel (1067)BerkeleyBramberBurton
Caerleon (1067)CambridgeCanterburyCarisbrooke
Chepstow (1067)CliffordClitheroeCorfe
Dudley (1067)DunsterEwyasEye
Gloucester (1067)HastingsHuntingdonLaunceston
Lewes (1069)LincolnMonmouthMontacute
MontgomeryNorwichOkehamptonOswestry
PeakPenworthamPontefractRaleigh
RhuddlanRichard's CastleRichmondRochester
RockinghamShrewsburyStaffordStamford
StantonTrematonTutburyWallingford
WarwickWigmoreWindsorYork (2 castles)

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More castle pages

  • Castle Index Page
  • Why build and live in castles
  • Castle development timeline

Pages in this section

  • Introduction and simple keep example
  • Tower of London plans and 3d model
  • Middleham Castle floor plans
  • Hedingham Castle floor plans
  • Dover Castle floor plans
  • Timeline of Square Keep construction
  • Explore 3d reconstructions

Types of castles

  • Early Fortifications
  • Castles of William the Conqueror
  • Keep and bailey castles
  • Motte and bailey castles
  • Square keeps
  • Shell-Keeps
  • Polygonal Keeps
  • Concentric Castles

Other details

  • Castles of Edward I
  • Medieval Castle Builders
  • Medieval Siege Tactics
  • The Trebuchet
  • Siege Towers
  • Parts of a castle
  • Location of 300+ UK castles
  • Location by UK county

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