What were the advantages of the castles?
What were the advantages of the castles? Motte and Bailey castles were: made of wood, easy to put up and repair, large enough for soldiers to safely live there, a great height since it was built on a motte, provision for the Normans to see the English during the day, a man-made hill which could shelter animals as they were built up high, and easily seen by ...
Why did Europeans built castles?
Castles were common in Europe during the Middle Ages and were often the homes of royal families or other powerful people. The main purpose of castles was to protect the people who lived there from invasions. They were also a status symbol to show other people how important a family was.
Who could own a castle?
This brings us to the question of who owned the castles? The castles can generally be split into several categories, royal and baronial either being built and owned by the king or built by a baron with or sometimes without the permission of the king.
What were the main features of a castle?
external features - such as towers battlements, thick walls, a moat, a drawbridge, etc. internal features - such as a well, large stores to guard against siege, a hall for everyone to socialise.
Why did castles stop being useful?
Castles were great defences against the enemy. However, when gunpowder was invented the castles stopped being an effective form of defence. By the end of the 1300s gunpowder was widely in use. The medieval castle with its high vertical walls was no longer the invincible fortification it had been.
What makes a castle a castle?
A castle is fundamentally two things, a residence for a laird, and a place that offers significant protection. If it's only one or the other, that's problematic. A grand building with no defensive features would be a palace, chateau or country house.
What were the 4 main reasons that castles were built?
Medieval Castle s were built from the 11th century CE for rulers to demonstrate their wealth and power to the local populace, to provide a place of defence and safe retreat in the case of attack, defend strategically important sites like river crossings, passages through hills, mountains, and frontiers, and as a place ...