+ Larger Font | - Smaller Font
Motte and Bailey Castles
Motte and Bailiey castles were the earliest form of castles built completely from scratch by the Normans.
The model above shows how they would have looked.
As their name suggests, they had two parts, the Motte and the Bailey.
The Motte was a large hill made of earth on which was built a wooden keep or lookout. The outer edge was then surrounded with a large wooden fence called a palisade.
The Bailey was separated from the Motte by a wooden bridge that could be removed if the Bailey was occupied by enemies. The Bailey was the part of the castle where people lived and animals were kept. A large castle might have more than one Bailey.
To give added protection to the castle, both the Motte and Bailey would be surrounded by a ditch, sometimes filled with water. A drawbridge was used for access to the castle.
| If you are sure that you have understood this information click NEXT....... |
|
|
| If you are not sure that you have understood this information ask your teacher for help....... |
|
Search this Site
What's New
Historical Terms
Egyptians
Romans
Normans
Medieval
Life
Tudors
Stuarts
English Civil War
Native Americans
Black Peoples of
America
American
West
British Monarchy
Titanic
World War One
World War Two
A-Z of History
Historical Dictionary
Famous Battles
Timelines
Online Lessons
Worksheets
Games
Links to History
Sites
A History on the Net Group Website
