Norman Stone CastlesThe History of the Norman Stone Castles The Battle of Hastings in 1066 marked the end of the Anglo Saxon Kings of England and the beginning Norman rule. Up to this point there were no stone castles in Britain. William the Conqueror introduced the strategy of building Motte and Bailey wooden castles which played a highly successful role when he conquered England. The wooden Motte and Bailey castles were seldom occupied for long periods. Nearly 1000 wooden Motte and Bailey Castles were constructed. Their rapid construction enabled the Normans to control and subjugate the conquered English. Wooden Motte and Bailey Castles were not viewed as permanent castles as wood built on earth rotted quickly and the castle could easily be destroyed by fire. Stone Castles were the solution! But they took considerable time to build, requiring a significant labour force, and they were expensive. The location of the stone castles were therefore carefully chosen for the most advantageous political and military purposes. Then the Norman strategy of building Stone Castles began... Converting wooden castles to stone castles! Many of the initial wooden constructions of the Motte and Bailey Castles were strongly fortified by converting them to stone castles. The first development and fortification was to raise the timber buildings on stone walls and once this was complete to entirely re-build the Castle Keep (tower) in stone. Thus emerged the first Stone Castles of the Medieval Era - including, of course, the famous Tower of London. William the Conqueror's chief stone castle architect and builder was called Robert, Lord of Belleme. Types of Stone used to build the Castles The stone used for building medieval castles was generally mined in quarries. However, the Romans had been great builders in Britain and local Roman structures would be pillaged for old Roman bricks to be used when building the new stone castles. Different types of other materials were used in the building and development of stone castles: - Hard Chalk
- Flint
- Limestone
- Sandstone
Mortar used in Stone Castles Mortar consists of bonding materials which are used in masonry, surfacing, and plastering that hardens in place and is used to bind together bricks or stones. The mortar used to bind together the stones when constructing medieval castles was made of water, sand, and lime mixed together. The Number of Norman Stone Castles built in the Medieval period Between the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Invasion in 1066 and the date that William the Conqueror died in 1087 a total of 86 stone castles had been built! Eighty-six castles in just 21 years! It is believed that as many as 1000 wooden Medieval Motte and Bailey castles were built in England. The Purpose and sites of the Norman Stone Castles The purpose and suitable sites of the Norman Stone Castles were as follows: - To act as a fortified post
- To provide a base where men, provisions and horses could be housed
- To overawe and frighten the indigenous population
- To provide a site from which the Normans could govern the surrounding district
- To provide a place from which the Normans could dispense justice
- They were built on the highest ground in the area
- They often adjoined Rivers
- They often overlooked Towns
- They made use of existing sites of Roman or Anglo Saxon forts
The Norman Stone Castle The Norman Stone Castles were often extensions of, or built around. the existing Keeps - The Norman Stone Castles were often extensions of, or built around. the existing Keeps
- Ditches and banks continued to be a feature
- Moats were introduced as an added defence feature
- The stone for the castles were transported wherever possible via rivers
- The stone came from quarries such as Caen and Maidstone
- Roman bricks were also used
- Limestone was used for the walls ( giving a cream-coloured finish )
- The Norman Castle Keep (tower) was built as the most protected part of the castle
- Massive stone Gateways were introduced
- Medieval towers and cranes were used when building castles
- A Barbican ( a tower or other fortification on the approach to a castle) was erected at the gate
- Additional features were added to improve defence
- The Portcullis
- Arrow loops
- Machicolations
- Murder Holes ( Meutrieres )
- The Machicolations were a projecting gallery at the top of a castle wall, supported by a row of corbeled arches and having openings in the floor through which stones and boiling liquids could be dropped on attackers
- The Norman Stone Castles had a rampart - an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes
- The wooden Palisades used in the Baileys were replaced with stone walls
- On the top of the Palisades were stone 'Crenellations' form which the soldiers fired arrows
- The stone Crenellations composed of:
- 'Crenels' ( An open space or notch between two Merlons in a battlement or crenelated wall
- 'Merlons' (A solid portion between two Crenels in a battlement)
- Some stone castles had a parapet - a low wall along the top of the rampart
- As time went by the size of the windows increased, making life in the Medieval Norman Stone Castles more comfortable
- Elaborate external ornaments were added to the stone castles
- Within their interior, protected by the defences, the Baileys of the stone castles contained:
- Barracks
- Stables
- Livestock
- Other buildings
- The Baileys were eventually replaced by the castle yard and more buildings built in stone
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