The Feudal System was one of Williams solutions

The Feudal System was one of William’s solutions. Why would this castle be a solution?

What is a castle? – War in medieval times was about the control of land. Castles were used to secure an area or a country from attack. The Normans built the first proper castles in England. They needed bases from which to control the countryside, and strongholds to protect them from Saxon attack. The castles had to be built in a hurry (they built the one in Hastings in 17 days!), so they were originally built of timber on an earth mound (a motte). The bailey was the living area for the soldiers.

Think about the different ways in which a castle could help William keep control over his new kingdom! William’s Solutions - Castles The PHYSICAL effects of castles The PSYCHOLOGICAL effects of castles

HINT: CASTLES. . Security and safety. Easier to defend than to attack.

William built castles to try and control areas where he faced resistance. This map shows the castles that William built. Why would he pick these locations?

Location, location A castle’s first defense was its location. . . Some castles were built on hills. This helped the defenders spot approaching enemy forces, and meant that objects could be thrown down on attacking soldiers. Attackers would also be tired from climbing the hill. Harlech Castle was almost impossible to surround – why?

Castles were often built near rivers. Why do you think this is?

Wooden Tower Motte and Bailey Castle Bailey Motte Wet Moat Wooden fence Drawbridge

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Motte and Bailey Castle Advantages Disadvantages 1. The castles were quick to build. A motte and bailey castle could be up in a few days to weeks! 1. The biggest weakness was the material they were made of – wood – which could be burnt down by fire. 2. They were cheap to build 2. The castles were not built as they used a resource to last, they were only a William had (timber) and temporary solution. peasants. 3. They protected the soldiers that William used to control the country and were easy to defend. Small numbers of Norman soldiers could hold off rebellions or attacks by being in a castle. Being made of wood, they were also affected by rot. Beams would need to be replaced.

The next improvement in castle design. . The Stone Square Keep! A Square Keep had the various rooms stacked and built upon each other. The roofs of the Square Keep often had battlements to allow soldiers to guard the castle from above. Entrance to the castle would be from outside stairs into the first floor.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Square Keep Castle Advantages Disadvantages 1. Made of stone so they did not burn; were very strong; and did not rot. They could last for centuries with little repair. 1. Building: expensive; slow and difficult; more specialized skills were needed to build one. 2. Massive towers meant attackers could not shoot arrows up over the walls, but the defenders could shoot down on them. 2. A trebuchet was still able to fire objects over the walls. Towers are a one way path up to the top – it attackers are coming up defenders have no where to go. 3. The walls were a few 3. Attackers could undermine metres thick making it almost and knock the corners of the impossible to break through. castle down. Arrow slits in the walls enabled the defenders to shoot through the wall.

Round Stone Keep Castle A Round Keep solved some of the problems of the Square Keep. A round tower would not have the sharp corners that prevented the view of the archers. There would not be weak corners that the enemy could tunnel under and collapse. Also, a Round Tower would allow enemy missiles to bounce and slide off the smooth walls.

The next improvement in castle design. . The Concentric Castle! Caerphilly Castle Building concentric castles started in the mid 1200 s, and the best examples were built in the 1290 s and early 1300 s. Each concentric castle had a very heavily defended entrance and the central core was defended by a series of curtain walls. The furthest of the curtain walls was the smallest in height to allow the defenders to see the enemy. The curtain wall nearest to the castle would have been the highest to give the defenders the height advantage over those attempting to take over the castle.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Concentric Castles Advantages Disadvantages 1. Many different layers created 1. Massively expensive to build. many different obstacles: attackers needed to penetrate at least two walls, and often pass through a heavily-defended gatehouse and barbican 2. Lookout points had a better view across the surrounding countryside - this was because of the symmetrical shape. This meant you needed less men to defend a castle, as you needed less people to act as look-outs. 2. If an attacking army decided to besiege the castle, troops within had the choice of either staying put and not fighting or leaving their place of safety and fighting on open ground. 3. A higher, inner wall was a 3. Often, they took so long to vantage point for archers, firing at build that, by the time they were the enemy. finished, they weren't needed any longer.