Did some people find them intimidating? Did a king view a castle in the same way as a peasant? Did a queen think about a castle in the same way as a builder?
The purpose of this enquiry is to allow students to explore documents relating to the general function of castles. Use this lesson with original documents to find out more about the role of Framlingham, Portchester, Stokesay, Berwick, Alnwick, and Pevensey castles in medieval society. The castle itself also represented a whole group of people who contributed to its function from constables, masons, blacksmiths and servants to name a few. In return for these grants, the king expected his nobles to control and administer these lands on his behalf. In fact, the majority of castles were granted by the king to his loyal lords and nobles along with large areas of land. Castles were not only built and used by the crown. They were also used by powerful lords to display their wealth and power through lavish architectural styles and decoration. Castles could serve as a centre for local government, administration and justice. However, once the Normans began to consolidate their control over England, castles began to take on a variety of different roles. The strategic location of the castle was paramount. In their infancy, castles were primarily military fortifications used to defend conquered territories from attack. Over time, stone castles were built in different architectural styles as builders experimented with castle-building techniques. Many of the original timber castles were replaced with stone castles. Due to these disadvantages, King William ordered that castles should be built in stone. They were very vulnerable to attacks using fire and the wood would eventually start to rot. However, the timber castles did have disadvantages. These timber castles were quite cheap and very quick to build. The ‘motte’ was made up of a large mound of earth with a wooden tower on top, while the ‘bailey’ was a large ditch and bank enclosure which surrounded the motte. These early castles were mainly of motte and bailey type. They constructed castles all over the country in order to control their newly-won territory, and to pacify the Anglo-Saxon population. After their victory at the Battle of Hastings, the Normans settled in England. The castle as we know it today was introduced into England in 1066 during the Norman invasion led by William the Conqueror.
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