Norman Castles in England Flashcards
(30 cards)
What kind of defences did the Anglo-Saxons use?
-Anglo-Saxons used royal burhs and smaller enclosures called burh-geats.
What was a burh-geat?
-An oval enclosure with a hall, surrounded by a bank and ditch. Some had impressive gatehouses.
How were Norman castles different?
-They were designed to control the population, not protect them.
What was a motte?
-A large mound with a wooden tower on top and a palisade (fence) around it.
Why were castles important to William?
-They helped him secure England, crush resistance, and show power.
What did William build in Pevensey and Hastings?
-In Pevensey, he used a Roman fort to build a new castle. At Hastings, he also used Roman remains to build one.
What did he build in London?
-He built a castle that became the Tower of London.
What did William do between 1068 and 1071?
-He built castles to show power and crush rebellion, especially in key towns and transport routes.
Why were Norman castles unpopular?
-English were forced to build them
Tax was raised
Homes were destroyed
Lords treated locals badly
What were castles used for?
To secure roads
Control areas like rivers
Show authority
Crush revolts
Where did William rely on trusted lords to build castles?
Sussex: 6 barons
Western England: Robert of Mortain
Welsh borders: William FitzOsbern (built Chepstow, Berkeley, Clifford, Wigmore)
By 1071, how many castles were there in England?
-35 castles across England.
How many castles existed by William’s death in 1087?
-By 1087, there were probably around 500 castles in England and Wales.
Who built most of these castles?
- Most were built by Norman lords.
Why were castles built by barons and knights?
-William gave blocks of land to his knights, who were expected to control those territories, so they built castles.
Where were castles usually built and why?
-Castles were nearly all built in the countryside to manage land and for military purposes.
What type of castles did Normans first build?
-Most early castles were timber motte and bailey castles.
What are ringworks?
-Castles without a motte but with earthwork defences. Ringworks were often built on sites of existing fortresses.
What are the definitions of key castle features?
Ramparts: Earth banks several metres high
Palisade: Tall wooden fence on top of ramparts
Moat: Deep channel outside ramparts
Bailey: Enclosure inside ramparts
Gatehouse: Fortified castle entrance
Motte: A mound, several metres high
Tower: The castle centre, built on top of the motte
Why are surviving stone Norman structures important?
-: Very few remain, so surviving ones help us understand Norman society.
What is a key surviving castle feature in Exeter?
-The Norman gatehouse incorporated Anglo-Saxon design features and had large wooden doors, suggesting it was a status symbol.
How were early Norman castles typically constructed?
-Most were built from earth and wood; the earthworks survive today.
What were ringwork castles?
-Castles with a ditch and rampart, often using natural/existing structures.
How were mottes built?
- From soil dug from ditches, hills, or burial mounds. They varied in shape and height.
