Full Answer
Why did they stop building stone keep castles?
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.
How long did it take to build a stone keep castle?
Stone castles were extremely expensive and took a great deal of time to build. If some motte-and-bailey castles could be constructed in less than a month, a medium size stone castle would have taken a minimum of five years to build, while a large size stone castle could take more than a decade.
How thick were stone keep castle walls?
The new stone wall of a shell keep, either circular or polygonal, could be 3-3.5 metres (10-12 ft) thick and 4.5-9 metres (15-30 ft) high. Inside were such buildings as a hall, barracks, chapel, accommodation, and storehouses.
How were stone keep castles built?
A stone keep was the central feature, with thick walls and few windows. Entrance to the keep was by stone steps leading to the first floor. The kitchens were situated on the ground floor while living quarters were on the upper floors. The first keeps were rectangular in shape but later ones were often circular.
What was the largest castle ever built?
Malbork Castle ZamekThe castle is a classic example of a medieval fortress and, on its completion in 1406, was the world's largest brick castle....Malbork Castle.Malbork Castle Zamek w MalborkuBuilt13th centuryUNESCO World Heritage SiteOfficial nameCastle of the Teutonic Order in MalborkTypeCultural11 more rows
What's the oldest castle in the world?
The Citadel of Aleppo is the oldest castle in the world, with some parts of the structure dating back to 3000 BC. Built in 1070 AD, Windsor Castle is the oldest castle that is still actively used today.
What were the weaknesses of the 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 castle walls filled with?
Curtain Walls and Keep And they consist of an exterior of dressed stone filled with a rubble and mortar core. Castle walls are built on a foundation wider than the wall, consisting of rammed stone and rubble, or atop piles of oakwood driven into the soil, alternately.
Why is a castle keep called a keep?
Since the 16th century, the English word keep has commonly referred to large towers in castles. The word originates from around 1375 to 1376, coming from the Middle English term kype, meaning basket or cask, and was a term applied to the shell keep at Guînes, said to resemble a barrel.
Who built stone keep castles?
A Stone Keep Castle is a type of castle built in the 11th and 12th Centuries by the Normans who originally came from France. The people who built them and lived in them were typically rich noblemen and their families who wanted to show their power and status.
What was the stone keep castle made of?
The keep is the strongest and safest place in a castle. Early keeps were made out of wood; later people started making them out of stone, which is stronger. Some stone keeps, like the White Tower in London, are still standing today.
When was the first stone keep castle built?
The first stone castles were built in the 11th century, soon after the Norman Conquest (1066), and they continued to be built, re-built and extended over the following centuries.
How long did it take to build a keep?
They were also relatively slow to erect, due to the limitations of the lime mortar used during the period – a keep's walls could usually be raised by a maximum of only 12 feet (3.6 metres) a year; the keep at Scarborough was not atypical in taking ten years to build.
How long did it take for a castle to be built?
Castles generally took two to 10 years to build. To learn and understand medieval castle building techniques, let's look at a modern castle building project.
When was the first stone keep castle built?
The first stone castles were built in the 11th century, soon after the Norman Conquest (1066), and they continued to be built, re-built and extended over the following centuries.
How long would it take to build a castle today?
Average castle building time is two years.
What is the advantage of stone keep castles?
This new height means stone keep castles had the significant advantage of visibility - allowing the castle to be seen by potential rebels and allowing the castle’s defenders to spot enemies at a distance. Rochester Castle, for example, has views across the Medway estuary, making it easy to spot any enemies attempting to attack from the river.
Why did William the Conqueror build a stone castle?
Following rebellion in the north of England, and the subsequent “Harrying of the North” in response, William the Conqueror decided to build stone keep castles as the ultimate display of his power. The most famous of these castles was the White Tower at the Tower of London and Rochester Castle in Kent. By using stone, William was able ...
What castles were easy to set on fire?
Motte and bailey castles were renowned for being easy to set on fire, making it difficult to defend them against armies aware of this weakness. However, it was significantly harder to do the same with a stone keep castle, which had stone walls instead of wood.
What is the difference between a stone castle and a motte castle?
The main difference between the two was that motte and bailey castles were designed to be temporary ( although lots survive to this day) while stone keep castles were designed to last as long as possible.
How thick is the walls of the Castle of Canterbury?
The walls of this castle are between 11 and 13 feet thick. The castle was constructed by the same architect as the White Tower, Gundulf, who built it along the same geographic lines as a Roman Fort that had been built in the city. It was originally given to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Where was the White Tower built?
The construction of the White Tower was largely completed with stone from Caen in northern France, which was a creamy colour and led to the tower’s nickname. This was brought to England due to William’s ‘distrust’ of Saxon stone.
How tall is the White Tower?
The only stone keep castle that is commonly considered to be more impressive than the White Tower is Rochester Castle, which stands at 113 feet tall. This makes it the tallest stone keep castle in England. The walls of this castle are between 11 and 13 feet thick.
How long did it take to build a stone castle?
If some motte-and-bailey castles could be constructed in less than a month, a medium size stone castle would have taken a minimum of five years to build, while a large size stone castle could take more than a decade.
How much did a stone castle cost?
While the cost of an exceptionally expensive motte-and-bailey castle was as low as £20, the cost of a large stone castle could go as high as £10,000 or even more.
What was the solution to the shell keep castle?
As a compromise, a common solution was to replace the wooden palisade around the keep and the one surrounding the bailey with a stone wall. That's how the so-called shell keep castles appeared.
What was the main building material used in the Motte and Bailey castle?
The Motte and Bailey Castles were very popular for almost two centuries. One of the many things that made this design so popular was the use of wood as the primary building material (which was cheap and easy to use).
What is the purpose of a castle?
Castle design largely depended upon the local landscape and the purpose and function of each castle. No two stone castles had the same layout, and while some castles were designed to culture an air of luxury and grandeur, others were built for purely militaristic pursuits, with strong walls that could be easily defended and provide shelter for the local population.
What is a good example of a stone keep castle?
A reconstruction of York Castle, a good example of a stone keep castle. The entire Motte-and-bailey design (including shell keeps and stone keeps) became less popular in the mid-medieval period, and from the end of the 12th century, a new scientific approach in castle design had emerged. And with this new approach, ...
How long did stone walls last?
Secondly, stone castles would last for centuries (many of them survive to this day) whereas wood lasted a decade or two at best.
How much did castles cost in the 10th century?
Monetary cost of castles rose as centuries went by and more and more intricate designs and stone demands were placed (from less than £100 in 10th century to almost £100.000 for royal castles in 14th century). No matter what century it was, individual lords had to invest significant amount of their total wealth to create only modest keep with basic defenses. Royalty on the other hand had enough money for building of large extravagant castles.
What were castles made of?
Many European castles were built exclusively from earth and timber. There are examples of several such castles that were maintained in operational state for 400-500 years. Creating castles from bricks was also present. Those castles were strong and long-lasting, and could be created with less experienced workforce.
Why was choosing the site of the castle important?
Choosing the site of the castle was very important, because it determined the price of the castle (transport of materials, building of roads, modifying natural terrain to build motte or flatten a hill).
How long does it take to build a castle?
Usual time investment for building a castle was 10 years.
When did castles start to evolve?
Techniques for building castles evolved significantly from the moment they started spreading across Europe in 9th century AD , until their eventual decline in 18th century and later revivals caused by fashion and nostalgia.
What was the role of picking materials from witch castles?
Picking the materials from witch castle will be made played significant role in determining the budget of the castle ( and therefore its size). Earth and timber castle were significantly cheaper than stone castles, and closest stone quarries were sometimes far away and heavily accessible. Workforce was also important.
