Medieval Castles

Here is a model of a Medieval Castle. This is the Meersburg castle in germany. It is believed to have been built in the 7th century which makes it well over a thousand years old.

About Medieval Castles

Medieval Castles are magnificent structures that were first created around the tenth century. These first castles were made of earth and wood. Their major use was to protect people from attacking armies and over the centuries as technologies and tactics of warfare changed so too did medieval castles change. Today they are predominatly just museums or residences for royalty or the wealthy.

These early earth and wood castles were called Motte and Bailey and were made of a mound of earth (motte) topped with a wooden tower. And encircled by a protective wall ( bailey)

Over the centuries castles were improved for maximum fortification both offensive and defensive and one of the most important improvements was the fortification of the outside walls which were built thicker and thicker. This is predominantly because of the development of artillery. They eventually were designed as fortified places for royalty to live.

Of all the Medieval Castles in the world this one is the most famous. It is Neuschwanstein located in Bavaria Germany. It is widely held that this is what the famous Disney castle is modeled after.
Neuschwanstein official Homepage

What is a Castle? The generally accepted definition of a castle is a structure that is fortified for defense against an enemy and generally serves as a military headquarters dominating the surrounding countryside.

What were the main purposes of a Castle? The basic function of a castle varied and their use changed over time. The three main uses of a castle are:

A fortified building that was used in a defensive manner to protect the people from outside invaders.
A fortified building that was used in an offensive manner. A king would often build a castle in a foreign or hostile land as a place to mount attacks from. This was one of the main ways that kingdoms were extended in size.
A fortified building for people to live in. Over the course of centuries the function of a castle changed. It became more of a place for people and royalty to live in. The military applications and functions of castles were minimized and the livability was maximized. They still retained their flavor and feel of being fortified but considerably less so. This is what most castles are in the modern age.

When were the first Castles Built? It is generally accepted that the first castles were built around the tenth century in the north of France. These early castles were built of earth and wood.

When we think of A "Medieval Castle" some very specific things come to mind. These are the machinations of warfare! How and why were castles built the way they were built? For defense and offense in time of war! Here is an overview of some of the more famous things about castles, their fortifications and how they were sieged.

Some of the Defensive Features of Medieval Castles

Concentric Walls A castle was often built with a stronghold in the very center. This was the last line of defense. Remember that peoples lives depended on their castles so they were very cautious and took extreme measures. Around this stronghold they built a wall then around this wall they built another wall and even sometimes a third wall around all of this. The purpose of this was that if the outer wall was breached by an invading enemy everyone could retreat to an inner set of walls and the siege could begin again. It was like having a castle within a castle. the invaders would have to commence the seiging all over again and again.

Moats - A Moat is a deep and wide water-filled trench that circled all the way around a castle. It served two main purposes. It made it very difficult for a seiging army to get their seige machines such as siege toward and battering rams up against the castle walls. This was the only way they were effective. A common tactic of a sieging army was to dig a hole under a castle wall rather than try to break it down. A moat around the castle made this very difficult.

Drawbridges - This is a large wooden bridge that crossed over the moat of a castle. It could be let down and used as a bridge in times of peace. But in times of trouble or siege it could be raised - effectively making it more difficult for the seiging army to invade the castle.

Portcullises - These are heavily fortified iron gates that were raised and lowered vertically. this was usually one of the last lines of defense in a castle and they were often used in pairs. A short tunnel would be at the entrance to the castle with a portcullis on each end of it. the portcullis on the inside would be closed and then when invaders entered the tunnel the portcullis on the outside would be closed. This would trap the invaders inside the tunnel where they could be easily handled by arrows, hot oil or other means.

Battlements - They were crennelated shapes along the top of a castle that allowed people to shoot arrows or other projectiles down at their enemies. The picture shown at the left is of the battlements in a tower. It is called: Rural Ireland: Ivy Growing On Tower and it is available at Art.com Click on the image for more information.

Another view of battlements Can you see how easy it would be for people to stand up here and shoot arrows down on the enemy?

As Technology in weapons increased (particularly with the creation of artillery) castles became more and more fortified. But castles could be breached and overcome. This was called sieging.

Castle Resources

Castle Want to Know How a castle is built? This Caldecott Medal winning book takes you through the whole process step-by-step. It is all done in pencil and pen and ink drawings and is simply maginificent. If you love to know how things are made you should check out this book
Wikipedia article on castles
Posters of Castles
The Medieval Castle Website - includes some pictures of the inside of a thousand year old german castle.
Do you know the parts of a castle? Know what an oubliette is? How about a Motte? Here is a nice listing of the parts of a castle. Many of them have pictures. The parts of a castle
E ver wonder what life in a medieval castle was like? It wasn't what we picture nowadays in the movies. Here is a great explanation of the daily life in a castle.
Links to some famous castles
More Resources to castle stuff

Castle Imagine yourself in 13th-century England. King Edward I has just named the fictitious Kevin le Strange to be the Lord of Aberwyvern--"a rich but rebellious area of Northwest Wales." Lord Kevin's first task is to oversee the construction of a strategically placed castle and town in order to assure that England can "dominate the Welsh once and for all." And a story is born! In the Caldecott Honor Book Castle , David Macaulay--author, illustrator, former architect and teacher--sets his sights on the creation and destiny of Lord Kevin's magnificent castle perched on a bluff overlooking the sea. Brick by brick, tool by tool, worker by worker, we witness the methodical construction of a castle through exquisitely detailed pen-and-ink illustrations. Children who love to know how things work especially appreciate Macaulay's passion for process and engineering. Moats, arrow loops, plumbing, dungeons, and weaponry are all explained in satisfying detail. This talented author also has a keen sense of irony and tragedy, which is played out in the intricacies of the human story: a castle can be built as a fortress, but ultimately it becomes obsolete when humans discover that cooperation works best.

Castles (Usborne Beginners) This exploration of castles is part of a series introducing children to the wonder of the world around them. It has two reading levels, with a simple sentence on each page for beginners, accompanied by more complex information which can be read as the child's ability grows.

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