What is a motte and bailey in a castle?
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 the main features of a Motte and Bailey castle?
The castle is made up of two parts. The motte is a raised mound or earthwork which would have a stone or wooden keep on top. A keep is a kind fortified tower. The bailey is an enclosed courtyard that was protected by a ditch and a palisade – which is a wall made from wooden stakes.
Why was the Motte and Bailey castle used?
Building motte and bailey castles were an effective way of securing towns that had submitted to his power. Although the wooden structure was much more vulnerable to damage than a stone structure, a motte and bailey castle could be built quickly until the Normans had the time to build more permanent stone structures.
Where is Motte and Bailey castle?
Motte and bailey castle 400m south east of Bishopton, Bishopton – 1008668 | Historic England.
How long would it take to build a Motte and Bailey castle?
The motte and bailey castle at Dover took just eight days to build – according to William of Poitiers who was William’s chaplain. Was such a feat possible? Building castles then was very labour intensive.
Who lives in a Motte and Bailey castle?
At the bottom of the motte was the bailey. The bailey varied in size from one to three acres. Inside the bailey, lived the followers of the Lord who ran the castle. There were many buildings inside the bailey including stables, storehouses, bakeries, kitchens, houses, and quarters for soldiers.
What was the safest place in a Motte and Bailey castle?
The keep
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.
What does motte and bailey mean in English?
: a medieval Norman castle consisting of two connecting ditched stockaded mounds with the higher mound surmounted by the keep and the lower one containing barracks and other buildings.
What are the main features of a motte and bailey castle?
A motte and bailey castle is, as the name suggests, made up of two parts: the motte and the bailey. The motte is a raised mound or earthwork with a stone or wooden keep (a fortified tower) on top . The bailey is a courtyard enclosed and protected by a ditch and a palisade (a wall made from lare wooden stakes).
What materials were used to build a motte and bailey castle?
A motte and bailey castle is, as the name suggests, made up of two parts: the motte and the bailey. The motte is a raised mound or earthwork with a stone or wooden keep (a fortified tower) on top.
What animals were kept on a motte and bailey castle?
The bailey would typically contain a hall, stables for the horses and cattle, a chapel, and huts for the nobleman’s people. There were often shops inside the bailey for local merchants. Motte and bailey castles later evolved into Norman castles that evolved later into even better Concentric castles.
Why did William build motte and bailey castles?
The reason why kings built castles was to protect them and to keep out their enemies. Motte and Bailey The motte and bailey were the first castles to be built in 1066 and William the Conqueror was one of the first to build them in England. Motte and Baileys were built from wood.