What is a Motte and Bailey Castle? - History Year 7

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00:02
Speaker A
The Motte and Bailey is a type of castle built across England after the Norman conquest in 1066.
00:13
Speaker A
Thousands of motte and baileys were built across England and Wales during the Norman period.
00:23
Speaker A
William the Conqueror built Motte and Bailey to assert his control and intimidate his subjects.
00:37
Speaker A
Motte. This was a man-made hill, which was hard to attack and a good lookout point.
00:50
Speaker A
Bailey. This was a courtyard which contained buildings where people lived and worked.
00:58
Speaker A
Moat. This was a stream surrounding the castle for extra protection.
01:49
Speaker A
Keep. This was the last line of defense.
01:57
Speaker A
Drawbridge. This was the entrance to the castle, the bridge could open or close.
02:08
Speaker A
Palisade. This was a wooden fence which protected the castle.
02:21
Speaker A
They were cheap and used readily available materials, e.g. timber.
02:30
Speaker A
They were hard to capture due to their height and moat.
03:18
Speaker A
They were quick and easy to build.
03:27
Speaker A
Timber burns easily, enemies used flaming arrows to burn down the castles.
03:38
Speaker A
Timber rots over time and many motte and baileys fell into disrepair.
03:49
Speaker A
Motte and baileys were gradually replaced by stone castles. Stone castles were stronger and did not catch fire.
04:04
Speaker A
There are still many motte and bailey castles around today.

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