What were Motte and Bailey made?

What were Motte and Bailey made?

Originally, these castles were constructed from timber and earth alone; they were cheap and easy to build and didn’t require any special design. The fortification consisted of a wooden keep that was placed on a raised earthwork called a motte, overlooking an enclosed courtyard called the bailey.

How were Motte and Bailey castles designed?

The castles consisted of a wooden wall, perhaps built on an earth bank, encircling an open space or courtyard (bailey) and a natural or artificial hill (motte) which had a wooden tower built in the centre of its flattened top, sometimes surrounded by its own wooden palisade.

What material was the keep made of in a Motte and Bailey castle?

wooden
A motte-and-bailey castle was made up of two structures: a motte (a type of mound – often artificial – topped with a wooden or stone structure known as a keep); and at least one bailey (a fortified enclosure built next to the motte).

Why were Motte and Bailey castles made out of wood?

Motte and bailey castles were made of wood. Wooden castles were quick to build and repair, but they were easy to attack and burn down. Stone castles were stronger and did not rot like wood, but they were expensive and took many years to build.

What is a motte made from?

The motte is a raised mound of earth which has a wooden or stone building on it, often referred to as a keep.

What is stone keep?

The Stone Keep was a central feature of the castle, a stone tower built on the highest point. It was typically very tall with thick stone walls and is where the owners would have lived. Not all keeps were the same but there would have typically been: Battlements – on the top of the keep to provide defence.

Why did stone castles replace motte and bailey?

The wooden defences of motte and bailey castles were replaced by walls and towers of stone. Stone is more durable and resistant than wood and so it became the preferred building materials for castles. Stone castles were built taller and gave better protection against attack, fire and cold rainy weather.

What was bad about stone castles?

Stone castles were built on a square or rectangular plan. Attackers had to simply find a way of tunnelling underneath one of the corners to bring down a whole section of the castle. Siege weapons like the trebuchet could fire heavy rocks, if these missiles hit a flat surface there would be major damage to the castle.

Who lived in square keep castles?

Normans
A Stone Keep Castle is a type of castle built in the 11th and 12th Centuries by the Normans who originally came from France. The people who built them and lived in them were typically rich noblemen and their families who wanted to show their power and status.

Who owns Hastings castle?