RomanceEverAfter

Romantic Tales - Medieval

Building a Medieval Castle

The peak period for castle construction was between 1050 - 1350 A.D.  Hundreds of castles were built during the Middle Ages and some are still standing today.  Hundreds of workman and fine masons performed backbreaking work to build the fortresses that protected the lord and his people.

Selecting A Site

The first castles were built as fortresses for warrior kings and nobleman.  These castles provided shelter and protection for the lord, his family, servants and soldiers.  The fortress was particularly important during times of war.

One primary characteristic determined site selection - what advantages were offered by the terrain for defense.  Castles were built on steep hillsides or on the top of rocky cliffs.  Another consideration included how many approaches were there to reach the castle during a siege?   Other site selections would be along the coast are on a river or island.  Builders were creative if no hills or high points were available.  They took mounds of rock and earth and created an artificial mound (motte) from which the castle would perch. 

Material Used for Construction

In the early period (prior to the 11th century), fortifications utilized the materials that were available on site.  In general, timber was widely used as well as earth.  To make a permanent stronghold, the castle had to be constructed of stone.  The stone could be quarried locally.  If the local area did not have the stone available on-site, the rich lord had to have the stone imported. 

The roofs of the castle were topped off with either clay tiles, slates or wooden shingles.

Return to Home Page