EVOLUTION OF THE EARLY STRONGHOLDS
“The ‘motte’ consisted of a large mound of earth with a tower placed on top”
Early medieval strongholds, introduced during the Norman invasion of 1066, were known as motte-and-bailey castles. The ‘motte’ consisted of a large mound of earth with a tower placed on top. This was built from timber sourced from nearby forests. A fortified enclosure, or ‘bailey’, was surrounded by a wooden fence at the base. Many were built as the Normans settled in England, but it wasn’t long before the warring Anglo-saxons discovered a major flaw in the design. Wooden towers could easily be burnt down, and even if they were left untouched the wet weather soon began eating away at the vulnerable timbers.
Eventually, the wooden timbers were replaced with stone, thereby avoiding the obvious disadvantages of the wooden tower. The square
Did you know? In the 10th century, a castle cost about £100 ($123) to build
Norman keep towers were a distinct improvement on their predecessors since they had far thicker walls, but there were still issues with the design. The corners had defensive blind spots, and although they were no longer threatened by an attack by fire, they were still easy to undermine.
By 1270, medieval castles had evolved into the concentric designs we think of today when imagining a castle, with multiple curtain walls and many fine gatehouses.