What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Motte and Bailey castle?
Motte and Bailey Castles
| Advantages quick to build protected by the soldiers | Disadvantages made of wood temporary |
| Evaluation A motte and bailey castle was a way that William the Conqueror could control his land that he had just won. This was only temporary solution though so that is why stone castles started to be built |
What are the disadvantages of a Motte?
At a glance: disadvantages of Motte and Bailey castles
- Timber burns easily -and attackers quickly learned that firing flaming arrows could defeat the castle.
- Timber rots, to0 – castles quickly ran into disrepair, and often became abandoned by their owners.
- Mottes often had a broad base.
What are the bad things about Motte and Bailey castles?
Another negative thing was that the stone keep castle was square, so the corners could easily be undermined. The enemy would usually send men down a hole, make them tunnel until they reached a corner of the castle, which would cave in due to the weight of the stone castle and make it crumble away.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of square keep castles?
Square keep castles were made of stone to last longer – stone was guaranteed not to rot so these castles were much stronger than wooden motte and bailey ones. Because of the strength of stone it can be built up to provide an advantage in height and giving a good view for miles.
What are the advantages of motte and bailey castles?
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 are the advantages of a stone keep castle?
Stone castles had a number of advantages over wooden motte and bailey structures: They could be built inside the walls of the motte and bailey castle, this meant that the castle was still operational whilst it was being rebuilt. Unlike a wooden castle the new stone keeps did not rot or go up in flames.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of stone keep castles?
Advantages and Disadvantages of Stone Keep Castles Though Stone Keep Castles proved to be much better than Motte and Bailey Castles in terms of their strengths, they still had some weaknesses. -Stone lasts for a long time. -The tall towers were useful lookouts. -It was homely for owners.
Why are concentric castles better than motte and bailey?
A concentric castle is a much larger construction than Motte and bailey or Stone keep castles. Concentric Castles, such as Beaumaris and Caerphilly Castles, make best use of angles in a castles design, providing the defender with more opportunity to hurt any attacking force.
How could a Motte and Bailey castle be improved?
During the 12th century many castles were improved and strengthened by using stone as the ain building material. The wooden defences of motte and bailey castles were replaced by walls and towers of stone.
What are the features of motte and bailey castles?
As many as 1,000 Motte and Bailey Castles may have been built in England by the Normans. The last motte-and-bailey castles were built in 1200. They became a less popular design in the mid-medieval period and actually stopped being built in most of England from around 1170, although they continued to be built in Wales.
Why are stone castles better than motte and bailey?
The wooden defences of motte and bailey castles were replaced by walls and towers of stone. Stone is more durable and resistant than wood and so it became the preferred building materials for castles. Stone castles were built taller and gave better protection against attack, fire and cold rainy weather.
What are the advantages of a concentric castle?
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.
Why were mottemotte and bailey castles so popular?
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.
Can you still see the motte and bailey?
The remains of Pleshey Castle, a Motte and Bailey castle in Essex, England. The Motte was around 15 metres high and surrounded by a moat. A stone castle was built on the Motte, but this was dismantled in about 1629. You can still clearly see the Motte, though. Credit: David J Morgan, CC-BY-SA-2.0.
What are the advantages of a motte and Hill?
A motte also meant that one was defending from the “high ground”, shooting downhill. Climbing uphill on slippery grass was not pleasant—especially if people were shooting at you. Another advantage is the ease of construction. If the motte were a hill, builders faced minimal digging and shaping.
Can you still see Pleshey Castle in Essex?
The remains of Pleshey Castle, a Motte and Bailey castle in Essex, England. The Motte was around 15 metres high and surrounded by a moat. A stone castle was built on the Motte, but this was dismantled in about 1629. You can still clearly see the Motte, though.