Dr. Swanson

CASTLES

“For now, on this sheltered green, a large earthwork had been formed, behind which were the beginnings of a new building. From its foundations alone, it was clear that it would be massive.  Itwas made of grey stone.  And it was called the Tower.”  “…a massive castle keep, not of wood, but of stone. Its message to Londoners was bleak. ‘King William is your master.’” (Rutherfurd)

Castles were brought to Britain by William the Conqueror following his invasion of England.  William invaded England in 1066 and as a result of his victory in the Battle of Hastings, William’s title changed from the Duke of Normandy to King William I of England.

In efforts to maintain his rule over England, William had castles built to garrison many of the English burroughs.  The original castles designed had a simple structure.  Referred to as motte and bailey castles, these structures consisted of a simple, stout wooden tower built on a high patch of ground and surrounded by a palisade.

Because they were vulnerable to fire and weather damage, King William soon realized that these earth and wood castles were not very sturdy or durable.  As a result, he ordered the construction of castles made of stone.  With the use of stone also came more elaborate and massive designs.  Along with their stability, stone castles also became a symbol of power and authority for King William.

Planning and constructing a stone castle however, was a daunting task which required enormous amounts of material, manpower and money.  The stone for the castle was usually quarried from nearby areas.  Many times decorative rock was transported from locations outside the kingdom which was very costly.  Other costly materials included lumber for the floors, and tin and iron for the roofing.

Special craftsman from the kingdom and from other parts of Europe were brought in to complete various aspects of the work.  These craftsmen included architects, master masons, quarry men, woodcutters and carpenters.  As many as two thousand men were utilized to construct a stone castle. “The builder of this mighty project was Gundulf, a distinguished Norman monk and architect who had recently been brought to England and made Bishop of Rochester in nearby Kent.  With him Gundulf had brought all his knowledge of the fortress-building of Continental Europe and King William had already set him to work on several projects. Indeed the great Tower of London was itself one of a pair….” (Rutherfurd)

The walls of a stone castle were designed to be between eight and twenty feet in thickness in order to withstand the bombardment of battering that would occur during a siege.  Eventually over time the simple square design of the tower was replaced by more elaborate round designs.  The rounded tower was more difficult to build but it was less likely to topple during an attack. The rounded shape also caused canon balls and other types of missiles to bounce of the tower walls without causing and damage.

The curtain wall was built to surround and protect the main portion of the castle.  Like the towers, the initial designs were simple.  With time however, the curtain walls became thicker and more elaborate in design, intersecting at various points to provide observation or look-out points.  “The wall between the crypt and the chamber on the eastern side of the Tower was over twenty feet thick.” (Rutherfurd)

Eventually the curtain wall was modified to include the development of a gatehouse.  The gatehouse was the first entry way into the castle and as a result was constructed with numerous defensive techniques.  Some castles included the design of heavy iron gates or wooden doors to block the entrance to the castle.

The main theme behind the design of the castle was power and it order maintain power, defense was a priority.  In order to further protect the castle, deep ditches were cut into the bedrock surrounding the main part of the castle. In order to gain entry to the castle, drawbridges were designed for allowing passage over the ditches.

As military strategies changed in Great Britain, the function of the castle began to change from one of defense to one of comfort and status.  By the 15th. Century,  many of the castles were designed with fewer defensive features.  The development of firearms and the invention of gunpowder signaled the end of the castle’s era of endurance.

By the year 1650 almost all of the great castles of Britain had been rendered useless.  However, despite their decline in utility, the passion for castles remained with Britain.  Many wealthy landowners began naming their newly constructed homes “castles.”  This passion and intrigue with castles eventually led to efforts to preserve and restore the ruins of some of the great castles of Europe.