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What are 3 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.
How were motte and bailey castles designed?
The castles consisted of a wooden wall, perhaps built on an earth bank, encircling an open space or courtyard (bailey) and a natural or artificial hill (motte) which had a wooden tower built in the centre of its flattened top, sometimes surrounded by its own wooden palisade.
What is a square keep castle?
The keep (also known as a donjon) was a tower which was surrounded by a stone wall, often three metres thick. Stone keep castles were also known as square keep castles, since they were often square in shape. When under attack, other people in the castle could also seek refuge in the keep.
How do you make a simple motte-and-bailey castle?
Most motte and bailey castles had a circular wall made from sturdy tree trunks called a palisade. The easiest way to replicate this is to stick together rows of small wooden sticks (like popsicle sticks, coffee stirrers, or even dry twigs from outdoors). Tape or glue each piece of the wall in place carefully.
What is a bailey on a castle?
A bailey is the sturdy wall around a castle that keeps invaders out. The bailey of a medieval castle was usually built of stone. You might see a bailey — or the remains of one — if you tour a castle in England or France.
What was the stone structure in the middle of the castle called?
A castle is a fortified residence for a medieval noble. Castles come in all shapes and sizes, but knowing a few general terms will help you understand them. The Keep (or Donjon): A high, strong stone tower in the center of the castle complex that was the lord’s home and refuge of last resort.
What is a Motte and a Bailey?
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 was the Motte and Bailey castle used for?
Motte and bailey castles were a form of castle structure that enabled the new Norman conquerors of England and Wales to secure areas of land quickly and cheaply. The Normans needed a castle design they could erect quickly to subdue the vanquished Britons.