Castle builders added many defensive features to make their castles difficult to attack. ... Attackers had to climb over them to get closer to the castle. High walls. The walls of the castles were very high making it hard for attackers to climb over.

What was a major problem with Motte and Bailey castles?

The major weakness of the motte and bailey castle was the likelihood of the keep rotting or burning down. The solution was to build stone keeps but these could not always be built on the same site since the weight of the stone would sink into the motte.

How Motte and Bailey was attacked?

Every attacker was forced to attack on foot, climb or crawl up a very steep mound of earth while being under fire of archers, stone throwers and similar. The whole attack on a motte and bailey castle would need a lot of co-ordination, luck and courage due to the defensive features of the castles design.

What are the disadvantages of a motte and bailey castle?

At a glance: disadvantages of Motte and Bailey castles

• Timber burns easily -and attackers quickly learned that firing flaming arrows could defeat the castle.
• Timber rots, to0 – castles quickly ran into disrepair, and often became abandoned by their owners.
• Mottes often had a broad base.

Why were Motte and Bailey castles so good for Defence?

For man-made mottes the earth needed to build it was taken from the surrounding ditch to create another defensive feature. ... Motte and Bailey castles were built in Britain, Ireland and France in the 11th and 12th centuries. They were relatively cheap but effective defensive fortification that could repel small attacks.

The problems with Motte and Bailey CASTLES

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What defensive features did motte and bailey castles have?

The Keep. The keep on top of the motte was the castle's primary defensive element. It was surrounded by a protective wall, originally made of wood. Small mottes could only support a simple tower but larger mottes could support more complex structures that often contained multiple rooms.

What is a motte and a bailey?

This consisted of two main components: the motte, an artificial mound atop which was built a fortified tower called a keep, and a bailey, which was an enclosure connected to the motte. ... Many castles of this type also had a ditch around the bailey.

What are two disadvantages of a motte and bailey castle?

Timber burns easily -and attackers quickly learned that firing flaming arrows could defeat the castle. Timber rots, to0 – castles quickly ran into disrepair, and often became abandoned by their owners. Mottes often had a broad base.

Why did the motte and bailey castles change?

Why did stone castles replace the motte and bailey castles? The methods of attacking and besieging castles improved over time and so became a need for stronger, more durable (longer lasting) defences. Even though timber was strong against spears and arrows, fire could render it useless.

When were Motte and Bailey castles built?

Motte and bailey castles appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Motte and bailey castles were a common feature in England by the death of William the Conqueror in 1087. Their construction was the start of what was to become a massive castle building programme in England and Wales.

How is Motte and Bailey pronounced?

motte and bailey Pronunciation. motte and bai·ley.

Is Windsor castle a Motte and Bailey?

Originally designed to protect Norman dominance around the outskirts of London and oversee a strategically important part of the River Thames, Windsor Castle was built as a motte-and-bailey, with three wards surrounding a central mound.

How did a Motte and Bailey castle work?

How were Motte and Bailey Castles built? The sides of the motte were so steep that it would have been impossible to run up them in one go For added potection, a deep ditch was dug around the bottom of the motte. At the bottom of the motte was the bailey. The bailey varied in size from one to three acres.

How did Motte and Bailey castles help William Control England?

Wooden motte and bailey castles helped William to quickly control the English BUT they burned easily and they rotted. Later castles were built from stone. These stone castles were impressive and showed everyone the baron was in charge and it was also a safe place from which to rule the local area.

What is the motte in a Motte and Bailey castle?

A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade.

What was the purpose of the Motte and Bailey castle?

Motte and bailey castles were a form of castle structure that enabled the new Norman conquerors of England and Wales to secure areas of land quickly and cheaply. The Normans needed a castle design they could erect quickly to subdue the vanquished Britons.

What makes a Motte and Bailey castle strong?

It would have almost impossible to run up the sides of the motte, making it an excellence defence, A deep ditch was dug around the bottom of the motte for extra protection. Usually a keep and wall were built on top of the motte. Wood was the most commonly used material, but some keeps were also built from stone.

Why are concentric castles better than Motte and Bailey?

A concentric castle is a much larger construction than Motte and bailey or Stone keep castles. Concentric Castles, such as Beaumaris and Caerphilly Castles, make best use of angles in a castles design, providing the defender with more opportunity to hurt any attacking force.

What are the disadvantages of stone keep castles?

Although they seemed impenetrable at first, attackers quickly realized the weaknesses of many stone keep castles.

• They were expensive to build and to maintain and so only the wealthiest lords could afford to build very secure stone castles.
• Stone castles were built on a square or rectangular plan.

What are the disadvantages of concentric castles?

At a glance: the disadvantages of concentric castles

• They were phenomenally expensive to build – this can't be overstated!
• They took significant time to build – they needed years, rather than just weeks for basic motte-and-bailey castle.

What defensive features did castles have?

How to defend a castle

• Building up high. Building a castle up high made it difficult for enemies to get to the castle. ...
• Tall towers. Strong towers were added to curtain walls to watch out for enemies. ...
• Battlements. Battlements were walls on the roof of a castle. ...
• Arrow slits. ...
• Moat. ...
• Drawbridge. ...
• Portcullis. ...
• Dungeons.

What is the difference between Motte and Bailey castles and stone keep castles?

A motte-and-bailey castle consisted of two parts: a lookout tower and a place for people to live. A stone keep castle was a single dwelling built of rocks, making it harder to burn or attack, and surrounded by a moat.

What is the biggest castle in England?

Windsor Castle is often called the largest inhabited castle in the world and is definitely the largest castle in England. It is one of the official residences of Queen Elizabeth II who spends many weekends of the year at the castle, using it for both state and private entertaining.