A castle was designed to keep the people inside as safe as possible but did all castles fore-fill the criteria?
The earliest castles appeared in the 9th and 10th centuries when the empire created by Charlemagne in modern France, Germany, North Italy was collapsing because of raids by people such as the Vikings. Lords built castles for protection and bases for their soldiers. Most of these castles were built of mud and sometimes wood. The most basic one was the ring work - An enclosure surrounded by a ditch with an earth rampart in it. In the 11th century motte and bailey castles became popular. A motte was built next to a bailey. A motte with two baileys built at Yelden, England probably just after the Norman conquest. A local stream fed the ditches. Often a grassy mound is all that remains of an early castle. The motte being made on the Bayeux tapestry by the Normans shows the motte being rammed by layers of soil, although at Hastings there is no real evidence of this method on the motte. The large motte at Pleshey, England was built by the Normans just after 1066. This type of castle could be built in a matter of months rather than years. Which was ideal when the Normans were in a very hostile countryside. Pleshey castle has one motte and one bailey, but sometimes there were two mottes and two baileys. Motte and bailey castles were quick and easy to build despite the large mound of earth which is a key feature. Many features on a motte and bailey castle-A courtyard, or bailey, protected by a ditch and palisade with an entrance gate often with a lifting bridge, a drawbridge or even a timber gate tower. Within the bailey are stables and workshops, a well and maybe even a chapel. The motte was the key finishing touch. Some mottes were only about 15 ft tall but a few were twice that size. The tower on top was usually of wood. Stone ones were usually to heavy for artificial mounds. Some towers had a lot of rooms but a watch tower on the motte, a great hall might be built in the bailey. Before 1100 most castles had just buildings and fences. There were just a couple that had a stone keep. The finest example of one of these is the White Tower in London which was built for William 1st . William’s tower is more of a palace than a tower with main rooms on top of each other. The fine architect and decoration resembles the kings power and importance. Over the years castles and various points have steadily changed and improved. The castles defences, materials and general designs have changed and varied at a higher standard than the other castles points.
THE CASTLE IN WAR
Before settling down for a long siege, the commander may try to brike the garrison to let him in or poison the water supply. The commanders troops would surround the castle, burn down the huts of the local residents and cut off all the castles supply lines. Wagons pulled by oxen would contain different parts of siege weapons, bring them up nearer to the castle walls and the troops would assemble them. A Herald sent out from the castle may come and discuss the rules and terms of fighting. An enemy commander who wanted to capture a castle had to plan his tactics extremely carefully. Before actually starting the siege the commander had to examine the castles surrounding area and countryside very carefully so he had a near to definite answer to all of the questions running through his head - Could the castle be attacked easily? Could the castle be easily surrounded? Where were the castles weak spots? Where, at which part of the castle would different siege weapons be most affective?
In William the conquerors reign It did not really matter who owned a castle. If it was a King, baron, Lord, either way it did not really matter. All Normans had to mould together, to battle against the Saxons. In 1100 William 2nd died and his younger brother Henry was crowned King. A big problem he faced was that his Barons were making their castles a lot stronger. Often they built very strong stone walls and a stronger gatehouse. The castle materials changed and developed because wood was not hard wearing enough and wood could be set alight very easily. It was also a very easy target for invaders. A new gate house was not only a better defence but a more comfortable home for the Constable or Baron then the wooden building on the motte. Henry then realised barons were making their castles stronger so he did not allow barons to build their own private castles, unless they had a special licence given by the king. He gave one to the Earl of Oxford who then built a stone keep at his castle in Hedingham. The Earl of Cornwall also had a licence. So he decided to build a stone wall round his castle at Trementon, with the finest and strongest stone. Henry 1st did not just sit back, he added stone defences to his castles such as the one at Corfe.
THE CASTLE IN PEACE
The kings and leading Barons that owned castles were always on the move around the country. Staying at different castles for a few days time before moving to another. Two groups of people travelled with the King, the household and the retinue. The household were staff, servants and cooks etc. The retinue were followers like knights, foot troops and savier. Kings and Barons did not just move about because they wanted to, they had to stay in control of their kingdom. To do this they needed to show off their power, collect rents and taxes. They needed to hold courts, issue orders and trials to punish wrong-doers. Near every castle there were manors which the King or Baron owned. The people who lived there had to supply food for the castle when its owner and household moved in. Seventy people and a dozen carts needed about one hundred horses. In a few days all of the people and the horses would eat all of the food the manor could supply. One of Henry’s clerks wrote saying how much the King would pay for food when he stayed at Salisbury Castle, a measure would be about enough to fill half a modern bath.
“In the stocking of Salisbury Castle for one hundred and twenty five measures of corn £21 by the Kings writ. And for one hundred and twenty five bacons £10 68d. Also four hundred cheeses £8. For twenty measures of beans 60s and twenty measures of salt for the same writ.
Some other orders went out for manors to send in pigs, cattle, sheep, hens, ducks and eggs by the huge amounts of hay and oats for the horses. Ordinary people (peasants) were told to get ready to work as servants, blacksmiths, stablemen etc. If orders came in winter the people would be happy with the extra pence they would earn. If they had to work in the summer the crops and harvest could suffer.
A castle was often the largest building around for miles. Usually it stood lonely in the countryside. Even though it was built on the edge of a town its walls towered over the rest of the town. Its looming appearance meant safety and security comfort for everyone that lived nearby. Many towns and villages grew rapidly under the protection of castles. Such new settlements were usually encouraged by the Lord, the villagers, men and women provided a labour force to work in the fields, while their sons and daughters would be useful in the castle as servants.
THE END OF GREAT CASTLES
By the end of the Medieval Era, it was very rare for more castles to be built. Lords and Ladies may decorate their houses with towers and battlements in the style of a castle, but it was just for show. Many houses designed for noble people after 1400 looked very unlike Medieval castles. They had large windows, wide gateways, but no strong stone surrounding walls or defences.
A reason why castle buildings stopped is because castles were no longer needed as fortresses. There were still battles, but they were being fought by soldiers in pitch battles. In most of Europe, Kings and important people had no need of castles strongholds from which to frighten enemy territory. Grand people and Lords now spent most of their time in lively conversation about music, literature or art, discussing law and politics rather than fighting one another. Most important of all castles were not hardwearing enough to withstand attack from new weapons, especially the new improved cannon. But when castle walls began to shatter and crumble under cannon fire, there was no point in sheltering behind them. The age of great castles had come to an end.
