Castles

Castles and Fortifications


In medieval times castles were complex living areas where its occupants could defend the surrounding area. Castles were the key point in defending the land and the locals, to conquer the area, the castle had to be taken. Castles had to be placed strategically to be able to beat back invaders or stand out in a siege. Building castles took from weeks to years but, in a chronicle from the late 1100's says the lord of Bournburg built a castle in one night. When building a castle the lord had to consider several things: How long will it take? What supplies are available? Do we have enough workers? What is the best positioning? Is there a accessible water source nearby? These questions were essential to building a good castle. In the early medieval ages castles were made out of wood it was only when certain machines were created that castles were made out of 20 foot thick stone walls.

If constructed well, the defenders had a huge advantage over invaders. They had height advantage where defenders could easily throw and shoot projectiles accurately. Also defenders could mount ballistae on the walls, and set up trebuchuets in protected areas to destroy the attacker's siege weapons. Catapults, battering rams, traitors, and explosives were the dangers to medieval castles. A well aimed onager could smash a regiment or a wall in minutes. A different type of castle called a keep, was divided into four levels, the first floor was below the entrance and was used for storage and might have water access. The second floor was the living area for the basic servant and soldier. The Third floor was where the keep's owner and family was entertained. The fourth floor was were The lords private living area and on top of the keep was a watchtower and a flagpole for the lord's flag.

Works Cited  JDH
 *  “Castles and Fortifications.” Medieval World. Ed. Sally MacEachern. Vol. 2. Danbury, CT: Grolier Educational, 2001. 17-22. Print.
 *  “Castles and Fortifications.” The Middle Ages; An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. William Chester Jordan. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1996. 152-157. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 Mar. 2010.
 *  Padgham, Lin. “File: Medieval Castle.JPG.” Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Mar. 2010. Web. 1 Apr. 2010. .