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Medieval Society

Castles: Motte and Bailey

The typical castle of Europe prior to the 11th century--that is, the castle that predominated for fully half of the Middle Ages-- is called by the English the motte and bailey. The type occurs all across Europe, however, in non-Christian as well as Christian areas.

A motte and bailey fortress consists of a circular ditch dug perhaps 10 feet deep and 30 feet across, with wooden palisades at the edge of the ditch. This might be dug around a low hill, but could be constructed even on flat land, for the dirt removed from the ditch was placed in a mound in the center. Palisades were built around the mound as well.

At the top of the mound stood a wooden tower. Other areas within the ditch might be also enclosed with their own ditch and wall.

The mound was the motte, the other areas were baileys. The lord lived in the motte, while the baileys held stables and other outbuildings.

Motte and bailey construction was used throughout the Middle Ages. It was simple and cheap to build, so we find them continuing in poorer regions long after stone castles were being built by the wealthy.

A motte and bailey castle was proof against the depredations of wild animals, so the lord's horses and hounds would be safe. It served to protect against any sudden attack by enemies. It could even withstand more serious attacks, for the ditch broke up any sort of charge, the walls gave the advantage to defenders, and one usually only had to hold out long enough for help to arrive.

It may seem that such a structure was vulnerable to fire, and indeed it was, but the enemy had to get close enough to start a blaze and had to protect the fire long enough for it to burn through the heavy logs. No mean feat.

Siege artillery was not effective in the West until the 12th century at the earliest, so defenders did not have to worry from that quarter either. In short, the motte and bailey castle was reasonably effective and was supplanted only when stone castles came along.

Castles: Origin and Spread

Stone castles appear first in northern France in the 10th century. The earliest examples are nothing more than a single tower with few windows and only one door (which was usually ten feet or more above ground level and reached by steps that could be dismantled in case of attack).

The French called this a donjon. It rarely stood alone, but was instead the chief strong point within a larger fortress of wood. The donjon was not originally designed to be a dwelling; it was a place to make a last stand, when all else had fallen.

It proved enormously effective. No one in tenth century Europe had the weapons or engineering skill to take a stone fortress, and the architecture spread across western Europe in the 11th century. William the Conqueror built stone castles all over England to secure his conquest, and other great lords did the same elsewhere.

The great era of castle building began in the twelfth century and lasted for three hundred years. By 1100, stone had found its way through most of the fortress complex. Walls, towers, church and residence were all stone, castles grew quite large in some cases and held entire communities.

As siege techniques improved, so did construction techniques, and the stone castle remained nearly invincible. The central Middle Ages saw a kind of arms race between the builders of castles and their attackers.

At the same time, castle construction was quite flexible, and castles of many types were built. Some were still little more than single towers, though made more livable. Some were designed to be entirely self-contained, while others were urban fortifications surrounded by shops and markets.

A castle was still an expensive building and one that required skilled craftsmen. Lesser nobles contented themselves with manor houses; only the greater lords could afford castles, which in turn helped secure their grip on the upper reaches of society.