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Cary Clark / FAQ / Castle / motte | |
| What are Motte and Bailey castles? From John P. Henderson: ! According to the book Life in a Medieval Castle by Joseph and Frances Gies (published by HarperCollins; ISBN: 006090674X): Most castles erected by the Normans shortly after their invasion of England, and most early castles of continental Europe as well, were made of timber and earthwork. These required unskilled labor, were cheap and quick to build, and could be constructed anywhere a fortification was needed, regardless of terrain. The “Motte” (or mound) was steep, sometimes natural, sometimes artificial formed partly from the earth dug from an encircling ditch. The top of the motte was flat and ringed with wooden palisades. The central keep within these walls was simply a house or tower, made of whatever material was available nearby (be it wood or even stone). This is where the lord or castellan would reside, and the top of the motte could hold a garrison for very brief times. But to house the daily living of a regular garrison, a larger area was cleared below the motte, given a ditch and a wooden palisade. This “Bailey” was connected to the higher motte by an inclined drawbridge. The bailey was often round or oval in shape, but might vary to follow contours of the land. Some of these early castles may have two or three such baileys. From Enrique Durand: ! Here are some links to images of historic motte-and-bailey castles: http://www.castles-of-britain.com/castlesa.htm http://www.castlewales.com/motte.html http://www.conisbroughcastle.org.uk/history.htm http://homepage.mac.com/mfeinberg/castles/types.html |
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