Table of Contents
What were the strengths and weaknesses of the motte and bailey castles?
Although the wooden structure was much more vulnerable to damage than a stone structure, a motte and bailey castle could be built quickly until the Normans had the time to build more permanent stone structures. The major weakness of the motte and bailey castle was the likelihood of the keep rotting or burning down.
What are the strengths of a motte and bailey castle?
Motte and Bailey castles were an attractive design for many reasons. They could be built extremely quickly, and only needed basic materials for their construction (such as earth, and wood). This meant that they were very cheap to make.
What are weaknesses of a castle?
The weaknesses of motte and bailey castles included being made from wood, as the castles could not be large sizes and the wood would rot from being rained on. Wood becomes weaker as it ages, can burn easily and the motte could collapse with the castle’s weight if it was not large enough to hold bigger troop sizes.
What are the advantages of castles?
This had a number of advantages: The height of these towers meant they could be seen by people from miles away, this demonstrated the power of Normans. It also gave look outs and archers excellent defensive positions, these castles were rarely attacked without warning and they were an excellent base to attack from.
What were 2 disadvantages of stone castles?
-Stone castles were expensive to build. -Attackers could target vulnerable areas by tunnelling through. -The towers could be badly damaged by attackers’ weapons.
What were the weaknesses of a stone keep castle?
However there still remained a number of weaknesses within the design of these castles. Stone keeps are square and an attacker could, if they were fortunate enough to get close enough, mine underneath a corner and wait for the weight of the castle to bring the walls caving in.
What were the disadvantages of building a stone castle?
What are the disadvantages of a castle?
- They were expensive to build and to maintain and so only the wealthiest lords could afford to build very secure stone castles.
- Stone castles were built on a square or rectangular plan.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of square keep castles?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of square-keep castles? Stone was guaranteed not to decay, therefore square-keep castles were significantly stronger than timber motte and bailey castles. Because of the strength of stone, it may be raised up to provide a height advantage and a good outlook for kilometers.
What were the weaknesses of the stone keep castle?
What are the weaknesses of a concentric castle?
While considered strong, concentric castles did have two major weaknesses: They were incredibly expensive to build and they made it hard for troops to engage from a safe position.
Why did castles lose their importance?
After the 16th century, castles declined as a mode of defense, mostly because of the invention and improvement of heavy cannons and mortars. This artillery could throw heavy cannonballs with so much force that even strong curtain walls could not hold up.
Why are stone castles better than motte and bailey?
Stone walls and towers replaced the timber defenses of motte and bailey castles. Because stone is more robust and resistant than wood, it became the chosen material for castle construction. Stone castles were higher and provided superior defense against attack, fire, and cold rainy weather.
What were the advantages of stone castles?
Stone castles were higher and provided superior defense against attack, fire, and cold rainy weather. They could also be lived in during peacetime. The most obvious advantage of building with stone is that it does not decay when exposed to air or water.
What were the advantages of concentric castles?
Major advantages of a Concentric Castle: Round towers couldn’t be mined as easily. Larger Castles can house a greater number of defendants. Once inside the outer wall an attacker was still visible to defenders in a large number of towers.
What is the strengths of concentric castles?
Why did castles become less effective and less important?
What were the disadvantages of stone castles?
What is a weakness in the concentric castle?
Why were motte and bailey castles so important?
Building motte and bailey castles were an effective way of securing towns that had submitted to his power. Although the wooden structure was much more vulnerable to damage than a stone structure, a motte and bailey castle could be built quickly until the Normans had the time to build more permanent stone structures.
What is a motte-and-bailey castle?
A motte-and-bailey castle was made up of two structures: a motte (a type of mound – often artificial – topped with a wooden or stone structure known as a keep); and at least one bailey (a fortified enclosure built next to the motte). The term “motte and bailey” is a relatively modern one, and is not medieval in origin.
How long did it take to build a motte and bailey?
Unlike Anglo-Saxon fortified towns, a Norman motte and bailey castle could be built very quickly, in some cases it only took a few days. William had 8000 men to try and consolidate his power in England. Building motte and bailey castles were an effective way of securing towns that had submitted to his power.
What are the disadvantages of a motte and Castle?
Major defensive frailties: A Motte would be susceptible to collapse under the weight of a castle, whilst they were good in the short term the castle would require shoring up and possibly even rebuilding in the longer term. Wooden fortifications are also susceptible to simple methods of attack.