Motte & Bailey
Early European castles were modeled after the fortresses built by the Romans, though they lacked the sturdy walls and engineering of their predecessors. Around the year 1000, these castles were typically built in the motte and bailey mode, out of earth and wood.
Motte and bailey castles used moats and ditches, often filled with water, as the first line of defense. Often, these moats were built in a figure 8 configuration, with a high mound of earth called a motte being raised in one of the circles. A wooden tower would be erected upon the mound, in which the lord would reside, surrounded by a stockade of pointed logs.
The other half of the figure eight was the bailey, an open area surrounded by a stockade that connected with the motte by a sloping bridge across the moat. Inside the bailey would be the stables and storerooms for the castle, as well as work areas. In the end furthest from the motte, the main entrance to the castle would be placed, with a drawbridge that could be raised in defense.
Reconstructed Gate of Roman Fort in Germany.
The motte and bailey style was most prevalent in Britain and France, though could also be found throughout other parts of Europe. Though they were inexpensive to build and could be put up quickly, wood is vulnerable to fire and force. Those who could afford it began to look to stone, and copy the Roman models in substance as well as style.
Interesting. I wasnt aware of the history of how castles progressed over time and how many of them are based on Roman design. Very cool
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Hello 😘, thank you for sharing the story of how they built the first European castles.
I believe a very large and resonable amount of time is always spend to build a castle
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