Did motte and bailey castles have a keep?
Did motte and bailey castles have a keep? 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 is a moat in a castle?
moat, a depression surrounding a castle, city wall, or other fortification, usually but not always filled with water. The existence of a moat was a natural result of early methods of fortification by earthworks, for the ditch produced by the removal of earth to form a rampart made a valuable part of the defense system.
What was the safest place in a motte-and-bailey castle?
The keep was the building where the owners of the castle would live. It was the safest place in the castle. The bailey was open, flat ground surrounded by a tall, wooden fence, often topped with spikes.