Table of Contents
What are the main features of a Norman castle?
Key Features. Windows.
Why did the Normans build castles ks3?
William has given them a patch of land in England to reward them for their loyal service in the Battle of Hastings. They need to build a castle as a symbol of local power, but the king has given them a set of rules they have to follow.
Why did the Normans build castles ks2?
Norman castles were designed for a different purpose, they were not defensive structures like the burhs , they were designed to intimidate the conquered Anglo-Saxons and remind them of Norman power. Norman castles were often built in locations that were considered of strategic value.
What is a Norman castle?
Norman Castles were typically built on the highest ground in the area, often adjoined Rivers and overlooking towns and harbours. They often made use of existing sites of Roman or Saxon forts and burhs. If no suitable motte existed then the Normans simply built one – as at Norwich.
What type of castles did the Normans build?
The Normans built motte and bailey castles to begin with. These castle were quick to build using just earth and timber. Later, once William the Conqueror, the leader of the Normans, had firmly established his rule in England, the Normans built huge stone keep castles.
Why were castles important in Norman England?
Castles were a sign of Norman power and might. They could be easily seen and as such acted as a deterrent. The castles warned the English that Norman soldiers lived in these castles and that any attempts to rise up against them would be met with force. The castles also gave the Norman soldiers a safe place to live.
How did the Normans defend their castles?
The defenders could fire missiles through gaps (crenels). The raised sections between, called merlons, helped to shelter the defenders during an enemy attack. These were stone boxes that projected from the walls of castles and had holes in the floors for dropping stones or boiling oil on attackers.
What kind of castles did the Normans build?
How did the Normans improve castles?
What type of castle is a Norman castle?
motte and bailey castles
What were the first Norman castles like? The Normans built motte and bailey castles to begin with. These castle were quick to build using just earth and timber. Later, once William the Conqueror, the leader of the Normans, had firmly established his rule in England, the Normans built huge stone keep castles.