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