medieval castles?

Question

i dont no anything about medieval castles so could u give me afew facts on them

Answer 1

Medieval castles were fortified forts where the lord lived and where the peasants retreated if someone attacked. They were usually built on rises where they could command an overview of the surrounding area.

The first ones were built simply, the basic plan was an inner tower (dongeon) and thick walls around it. Towers could be added to offer protection for the soldiers and living room. Inside the courtyard were built stables, smithery, and any other workshop needed for the running of the castle, these could be built in wood instead of stone, saving on money and time. The lord lived in the dongeon with his family. Walls were covered with tapestries to ward off the cold. Chimneys were big to warm up as much room as possible, people could seat nearly inside them in winter to get warm.
As well, there was usually a small chapel.

The (in)famous deep holes underground where prisonners were supposedly jailed for years were in fact places were food was kept cold.

Windows giving on the outside were narrow to avoid being hit when one fired arrows at the enemy. Later they were enlarged to allow the use of the first gun powered weapons.

The well was mandatory. They had to have drinking water during sieges. And imagine having to trudge downhill to bring back your daily water allowance, as well as for the horses, cattle, dogs, cooking, washing...

The moats were not mandatory. Plenty of fortified castles were at the top of a hill. Thus no moat nor drawbridge.

When attacked, the castle was locked down and the soldiers would fight from the walls, throwing boiling water or heated sand down on the attackers who tried to break the doors (oil was too expensive to waste like that, and besides it was food!). The ability to survive an attack was not only tied to the fighting ability of the defenders but also to the length of time they could survive without new food brought in. Many a castle fell because they had no more food.

If you want to know more, a group of mad French decided to build one just like it was done in the Middle Ages. Here is their site, you have an English version :

http://www.guedelon.com/

Answer 2

The center of any castle would be the keep. Many buildings made upon the Scotish boarder would simply be a keep, with a doorway that was built about ten feet up the structure and could only be accessed by a winding stair case. Originally these structures would have been square, but moved to round in an attempt to to overcome the effects of tunnelling.

The first medieval castles came via the Norman Conquest, where the war like Normans had been perfecting their trade for ages.

In order to ensure that the keep was not breached, a multi layer defence was adopted. IE a surrounding wall, encompasing several buildings, like stables etc. In addtion to this, a moat, or eathworks would also be employed. These structures would also be sited on stone bedrock, to minimize the danger of tunneling and on, or near a stream/river to unsure that the garison did not suffer from water shortage during a seige.

Although many castles were individually styled, a template structure was soon adopted, the Tower of London being a typical example. The one weakness with these structures being the lack of a fortified roof and so artilery would use wrotten carcases, hurled into the castle, to promote plague and disease. The advent of cannon, specifically mortars, represented a trying time for the traditional castle.

However, they were still a sucessful tactic and, following the royalist use of castles during the civil war, many had their walls destroyed, so as not to be used in any subsequent civil unrest.

Late version castles make good use of sloping walls, the most famous versions being star shaped, to allow for clear lines of fire.

As well as walls, the designs ensured that any attacking army would be channeled down narrow passage ways, so that arrows/boiling oil and rocks could be used to best effect.

There was a good history of castle series on the BBC. Might be worth looking there for more answers.

Luck

Answer 3

I learned about them in school!

A moat and tall walls surrounded the castle. Towers were built along intervals along the wall to strenghten it and to allow soldiers to shoot arrows. A drawbridge was lowered by chains, over the moat.
The castle had small windows to keep the heat inside and so it would be harder for attackers to get arrows in.
In the castle there was a great hall, which was a long room with the lord and the lady's table at the top. It was used for feasts and entertainment.

That's all I can remember now.

And here's a few pictures.
http://medieval.etrusia.co.uk/images/warkworthcastle.jpg
http://ceres.informatik.fh-kl.de/bsa/objekt_img/pic00047_1.jpg
http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/mmo/lowres/mmon154l.jpg

Answer 4

Thick stone walls. Central keep as living quarters. Main gate defended by a drawbridge, and a portcullis which could be raised or lowered. Battlements to protect defenders. If possible a well to supply drinking water. Garrisoned by men at arms commanded by knights.Stabling for horses, storage for supplies, possibly in the undercroft under the keep.Windows not much more than slits for arrows. Latrines in thickness of wall, with outflow down outside of wall(garderobe). Bit random, but hope it helps.

Answer 5

Too lazy but to repeat my earlier reply--

Thirty Facts - - - huh, hope this isn't a set up for 'you know who.' But Here goes.

1) What you see at Disney World and in Bavaria, the pretty stone or brick building with soaring turrets - - - that is NOT a Medeival Castle. Medeival Castles were (mostly) fortified hill tops and were actually a village within a wall or several sets of wall. Within this Castle might be the Great House or the Inner Keep but a stand alone fortified house was rare.

2) A majority of Castles were set on a hill with a natural spring . Most Castles added cisterns in addittion to natural sources of water. One can survived a long siege with scant food but withut water one is truly screwed!

3) A castle was an administrative hub - - - the city hall for the district. It was also the place for revels & feast many of which were the politicalling of the era. Often the courtyard or an outer yard of a castle was the place for market. Farmers would set up stalls and carry on with their daily business but no before delivering groceries to to Castle's Kitchen.

4) How many people do you know named Steward or Stewart or Stuart? The most important person in a castle was the Steward; he looked after things, managed acounts, saw to the defences of the Castle. He had to be a remarkable man, multitalented.

5) Building a Medeival was tough but MAINTAINING a Castle was tougher. Maintainence was on going as structures were rebuilt & enlarged especially because things were improving throughout the age. Toward the end of the Medeival Era there were cannons that could do great damage to castles and maintainance became impossible for many and many castles were left to ruin.

6) Castles became the local stone quarry when no longer in use or if a Baron had been stripped of his Castle and a King ordered it Destroyed, then the citizens of the closest towns & villages plundered the castle for stone and hardware. Lead Roofs were esecially valuable and easilly torn down and carted away. Castles became ruins with the help of a lot of people.

7) Many castles had a moat and often the moat was a natural exstention of the spring & stream that made the sight desirable. However the Moat was also filled sewage. The Castle privies emptied into the Moat and the stench was awful. Whenever you watch old movies and see men on horses galloping over bridges over moats notice how they hold their nose, squinting, eyes watering, gritting their teeth. Falling in a moat could be deadly.

8) A Castles ability to survive a long siege often depended on how much food they could stash within their walls. Grain had to be kept from spoilage and RATS. Therefore no Castle was without Dogs & Cats - - -

9) A well stocked Castle had barrels of beans and salted pork and grains plus gallons and gallons of wines. Wine once saved a beseiged castle from burning being used in place of water.

At this stage ebough of my own narrative and numbering will cut & paste the rest. (be weary of pop ups but the info is good)
http://www.castles.me.uk/medieval-castle-life.htm
""""Medieval Castle Life for the Lord and his Family
As the Medieval era progressed with time the castles became more and more comfortable:
Life in the castle started at dawn
Mass would be heard in the Chapel and additional private prayer might be made in the oratory
Breakfast
Lord would attend to business matters in relation to his land. Reports would be heard regarding estate crops, harvests and supplies. Finances - rents, taxes, customs and dues
Complaints and disputes regarding tenants would be settled, permission to marry etc
Political discussions and decisions
As the Medieval era progressed time was spent on the arts - poetry, music etc
Weapon practise
The Lady would spend time on overseeing some important household duties
Mid morning prayer and meal
Lord would go hunting, hawking or inspect the estate
Ladies would undertake needlework, embroidery etc
Evening prayer and then supper in the Hall
After supper there might be some Castle entertainment - music, dancing, masques, jugglers, acrobats, jesters, plays etc
The time for bed was dictated by the time the Lord retired
Bedtime prayers
Feats and Banquets might be held on special occasions
The Knight's skills would be occasionally displayed and practised in Tournaments, Jousting, Mock Duals etc """
""""THE GREAT HALL
The room in the castle called the Great Hall was intended for the main meeting and dining area and used by everyone who lived in the castle. The life of the castle revolved around this room. All of the meals were served in this room. Pages and servants waited on the tables. Servants ensured the Hall was cleaned, the fires were laid, the lighting was adequate. Entertainment was a major feature of Medieval castle life with music, dancing, masques, jugglers, acrobats, jesters, plays etc. Heralds, or Harkers, would present all visitors. The Steward supervised the events in the Great Hall.
THE SOLAR
The room in the castle called the Solar was intended for sleeping and private quarters and used by the Lord's family. It became a private sitting room favoured by the family. The solar suite of rooms was extended to include a wardrobe.
THE WARDROBE
The room in the castle called the wardrobe was intended as a dressing room and storage room for clothes and used by Lord of the castle. It became the storage room for costly, personal items such as jewels, coins, furs, spices, and plates. The use of the wardrobe was extended to the room where dressmaking and hairdressing was conducted.
THE BOWER
The room in the castle called the Bower was intended for the Lady of the castle and used as her private withdrawing-room where she would embroider
THE MINSTREL'S GALLERY
The Minstrel's Gallery housed the Lord's musicians and was situated on a raised gallery overlooking the Great Hall. The Minstrel's gallery demonstrates the importance of entetainment in Medieval castle life
THE THRONE ROOM
The Throne room illustrates the power of Royalty in Medieval castle life

THE BATHROOM
The room in the castle called the wardrobe was extended and used by Lord of the castle as a bathroom!. Bathing was usually conducted in wooden barrels but simply designed bathrooms were added in Medieval Castles for the Lords
( WHAT THIS SITE does not tell you was that Lords and other Nobles did not walk down eighty flights of steps on a cold winter day in order to cr#p in an outhouse. Inside the wardrobe was a 'close closet,' a bucket in which one did their business and the servants duty was to dump out the slops)
THE KITCHEN
Kitchens were integrated into the Medieval castles - they included cooking ovens for baking and huge fireplaces for smoking and roasting food. They also had a water supply complete with a sink and drainage. A hive of activity with cooks, bakers, spit boys and scullions
THE BUTTERY
The room in the castle called the Buttery was intended for storing and dispensing beverages, especially ale. The person who presided over the buttery was called the Butler. Next to the buttery another room was added later called the Bottlery. Water was not safe to drink and people drank ale and wine in Medieval Castle life
THE CHAPEL
The importance of religion in Medieval life is illustrated with the incorporation of a Chapel within the castle
THE DUNGEON & THE OUBLIETTE
The sinister side of Medieval castle life where prisoners were tortured and occasionally left to die
THE PLACE OF ARMS
The room in the castle called the Place of Arms was a large area in a covered way, where troops could assemble. Men at Arms, Knights, Squires and Pages constituted at least half the inhabitants of the Medieval castle. Later quarters were called barracks and mess halls. A noisy, violent group of men who dominated Medieval castle life and whose actions were tempered by the Code of Chivalry. The horses were extremely important to the Lord and Knights - the horses had to be fed, groomed and their stables kept clean - life around the stables was also noisy and smelly! ""

A final note // go read Thomas Costan's Paegent of England series as well as Ken Follet's 'The Pillars of the Earth.'

Peace,,,