King Edward I built numerous concentric castles in the late 1200s to early 1300s, many of which can still be seen today. Click to see full answer. Also to know is, who lived in castles? During the late Middle Ages, from the 10th to the 16th centuries, kings and lords lived in castles. As well as the lord, the lady (his wife), and their family there were lots of staff.
Who lived in castles in the 1200s?
King Edward I built numerous concentric castles in the late 1200s to early 1300s, many of which can still be seen today. Click to see full answer. Herein, who lived in castles? During the late Middle Ages, from the 10th to the 16th centuries, kings and lords lived in castles.
What is an example of concentric castle?
Concentric castles appeared in Europe in the 13th century, with the castles built in Wales by Edward I providing some outstanding examples, in particular Beaumaris Castle, a "perfect concentric castle", albeit unfinished.
How did concentric castles overcome siege?
If your answer is “camp outside and starve ’em out!”, that’s not a bad idea. However, most concentric castles were even equipped to overcome siege. These castles had wells built at their centre for water supplies, and some advanced designs were built alongside the sea.
How many people lived in Caerphilly Castle at one time?
At one time 2,000 people lived in the castle, known for its beautiful Medieval paintings. Caerphilly Castle in South Wales was one of the earliest concentric castles in Britain, built in 1268. It was a masterpiece of design and is the 2nd largest castle in Britain after Windsor Castle.
Who used concentric castles?
The best examples of concentric castles were built by Edward I, in North Wales. His shockingly expensive 'iron ring' of castles began in the 1290s, and many of the castles are near-perfect examples.
What were concentric castle used for?
The first in western Europe to be built to a concentric design. Having many walls meant that even if an enemy broke through the outer wall, there was, in effect, a second castle securely defended and stored with provisions.
What countries were concentric castles built?
Examples of concentric castlesCastle of Margat (Syria), 1062–Belvoir Castle (Israel), 1150.Münzenberg Castle (Hesse), 1162.Kidwelly Castle, south-west Wales, 13th century.Rhuddlan Castle, north of Wales, 1277.Harlech Castle, west of Wales, 1282–More items...
Why did the Normans build concentric castles?
Castles were a very good way for the Normans to expand their grip on the English people. The English population greatly outnumbered the Normans and the Normans had to create an atmosphere in which they were feared by the English, therefore, minimising the possibility of an uprising by the English.
What is the main features of a concentric castle?
A concentric castle is a castle with two or more concentric curtain walls, where the outer wall is lower than the inner and can be defended from it. Concentric castles resemble one enclosure castle nested inside the other, generally without a central free-standing keep.
Who built the first concentric castle?
King Edward I built numerous concentric castles in the late 1200s to early 1300s, many of which can still be seen today.
Where are concentric castles UK?
After stone keep castles, concentric castles became popular in England. This occurred during the reign of Edward I and they are mainly associated with north-west Wales, where many were built. The most famous concentric castles include Harleck, Beaumaris, Caernarfon and Conwy.
Is the Tower of London a concentric castle?
The Tower of London, located in the centre of the city, is a concentric castle with a Norman Stone Keep. William the Conqueror commenced the building of the castle in 1066 but it was not finally finished, as we know it today, until the 1530's.
Who lived in Norman castles?
During the late Middle Ages, from the 10th to the 16th centuries, kings and lords lived in castles. As well as the lord, the lady (his wife), and their family there were lots of staff. Some were important officials, such as the constable who took care of the castle when the lord was away.
Who lived in motte and bailey castles?
At the bottom of the motte was the bailey. The bailey varied in size from one to three acres. Inside the bailey, lived the followers of the Lord who ran the castle. There were many buildings inside the bailey including stables, storehouses, bakeries, kitchens, houses, and quarters for soldiers.
Which castle did William the Conqueror live in?
Hastings. Hastings Castle was built as a pre-fabricated timber stockade almost as soon as William the Conqueror landed with his troops in September 1066.
What is the origin of the concentric castle?
Origins of Concentric Castles. The great innovation of concentric castles , aside from the multiple layers of walls, was the fact that they rarely contained a keep – unlike the earlier motte-and-bailey and stone keep castle designs, which were based around a central keep.
What shape were the walls of concentric castles?
It is important to note that the walls of concentric castles were not usually circular in shape – often they were rectangular (like Beaumaris), or else polygonal to make use of terrain features (like Krak des Chevaliers).
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a concentric castle?
The benefits of concentric castles are plain: they were such formidable defensive structures, that besiegers regularly opted to starve out the garrison rather than risk losing huge numbers of men in an open assault.
Why were concentric castles so expensive?
Thanks to their enormous size and enviable stone battlements, concentric castles were hugely expensive to build – so vastly expensive that their construction was limited to only the richest of kings in Europe and holy orders in the Crusader States, such as the Templars and Hospitallers.
What is the ultimate incarnation of the medieval castle?
As a result, concentric castles emerged as the ultimate incarnation of the medieval castle, both in terms of size, defensive capability, and symbolic prestige.
How effective were concentric castles?
In fact, concentric castles were so incredibly effective as defensive structures that assaults against them were rarely attempted. So deadly was their design that besiegers would not only require a large number of fighting men, but also a great deal of siege equipment and many siege engines such as trebuchets.
Which castles were more effective at absorbing and deflecting blows from enemy projectiles?
Not only did the multiple layers of thick walls offer increased protection from enemy trebuchets, but the rounded towers of concentric castles were also far more effective at absorbing and deflecting blows from enemy projectiles. Manzanares el Real. Forchtenstein Castle. Castle of Loarre. Beaumaris Castle.
What are some facts about concentric castles?
Here are some facts about concentric castles. Concentric castles are those which have two or more surrounding walls, with the inner one usually higher than the outer one. They were sometimes circular, but also square or other shapes. These castles were the next big castle design ...
What were the defensive features of a concentric castle?
Concentric castles had other defensive features too, including circular towers which were difficult to undermine. They had battlements, moats, a drawbridge, a strongly defended entrance and arrow slits. One of the earliest concentric castles was the Crusaders’ Castle at Belvoir in Israel, dating from 1168.
What are some of the most famous castles in Britain?
Some of the most famous in Britain are Beaumaris Castle, Harlech Castle, Conway Castle and Caernarvon Castle. This type of castle was easier to defend.
How big is the outer wall of the Crusader castle?
The outer wall is 110 metres square, surrounded by a moat 12 metres deep. The Crac des Chevaliers is another well preserved Crusader castle, in Syria. At one time 2,000 people lived in the castle, known for its beautiful Medieval paintings. Caerphilly Castle in South Wales was one of the earliest concentric castles in Britain, built in 1268. ...
Why was Caernarvon Castle built?
Caernarvon Castle was built in the late 13th century to reinforce English rule over Wales. It is known for its 12 huge towers with 5, 6 and 10 sides. Although concentric castles were strong and easy to defend, they were also expensive to build.
What is a concentric castle?
The definition of a concentric castle is a “stone castle with at least two rings of outer walls, one inside the other”. Another way of thinking about it is as “a castle within a castle”. The two castle walls in concentric designs were designed to be two separate obstacles in the path of any attacker. The floorplan of concentric Beaumaris Castle in ...
Where were Edward I's castles built?
This was the case for many of Edward I’s castles in North Wales, including Beaumaris. Also, effectively, concentric designs became a ‘victim of their own success’.
What was the purpose of the double ring in Caerphilly Castle?
In castles built before 1270, a double-ring of castle walls was only used to ‘reinforce’ the outer curtain wall. However, Caerphilly Castle was a ‘new way of thinking’ about castle design. Here, each wrapping wall was considered individually. Designers began to consider each different wall to be a separate obstacle for invaders to overcome.
How to seize the castle in Medieval times?
In Medieval times, this was nicknamed ‘the death area’! To seize the castle, you’d need to breach the second (inner) curtain wall. However, archers would have been firing incessantly upon you from atop of that wall – you’d be a very easy target and there would have been nowhere to hide.
Where is Beaumaris Castle?
The floorplan of concentric Beaumaris Castle in Wales is a nice example of how these castles were laid out. (Scroll down to see it). You can see how the thick inner wall – the stronger black line – is protected by an outer layer of defence. There’s lots more to learn, though.
Is Caerphilly Castle symmetrical?
Most of these castles were either square or polygonal. However, these concentric designs were almost always symmetrical, unless rocky terrain or difficult surroundings prevented such a picture-perfect layout. Caerphilly Castle is an example of a concentric castle design.
Can you overexaggerate the defensive capabilities of a concentric castle?
You simply can’t over-exaggerate the defensive capabilities of concentric castle designs . Any individuals wishing to attack the castle would have had to run a real gauntlet of hazards and obstacles in order to reach the centre of the castle, and capture this mighty fortress for themselves.
