Medieval Castle

Q: What are the 4 types of medieval castles?

There were four types of medieval castle. In order of appearance, these types were: the motte and bailey, wooden tower keep, stone tower keep, and stone concentric walled castle.

Q: What was a medieval castle?

A medieval castle was a wooden or stone building used by rulers to demonstrate their wealth and power and to provide a place of defence in times of war. A medieval castle usually defended a strategically important site like a frontier, river crossing, or valley pass. Many castles had a permanent garrison of soldiers.

Q: Do any medieval castles still exist?

Many medieval castles still exist today in one form or another. Some of the best-preserved medieval castles include the Tower of London, Dover Castle, and Carcassonne Castle.

Mark Cartwright

Definition

Medieval castles were built from the 11th century CE for rulers to demonstrate their wealth and power to the local populace, to provide a place of defence and safe retreat in the case of attack, defend strategically important sites like river crossings, passages through hills, mountains, and frontiers, and as a place of residence.

More about: Medieval Castle

Timeline

967
The castle of Baños de la Encina, Jaén, Spain is built by the Moors.
c. 1000
The tower keep is built at Ivry-la-Bataille Castle, Normandy, France.
c. 1000
The castle and tower keep of Langeais, central France, are built.
c. 1020
The tower keep of Loches Castle, central France, is built.
1066
William the Conqueror begins construction of Dover Castle in southern England.
Oct 1066
The Normans introduce motte and bailey castles to Britain.
1067 - 1090
The first Great Hall of Chepstow Castle is built.
c. 1067
Earl William FitzOsbern begins the construction of Chepstow Castle in Wales.
1068
Exeter Castle, Devon, England is built.
1068
A motte and bailey castle is built at York, England.
1068
A motte and bailey castle is built at Warwick, Warwickshire, England.
1069
A second motte and bailey castle is built at York, England.
c. 1070
The Normans build the motte and bailey Pickering Castle, Yorkshire, England.
c. 1070
William the Conqueror builds a motte and bailey castle at Windsor.
c. 1072
The tower keep of Chepstow Castle, Wales is built.
c. 1074
The tower keep is begun at Colchester Castle, Essex, England.
c. 1078 - c. 1100
The White Tower of the Tower of London is built, a project begun by William the Conqueror.
1080
A motte and bailey castle is built at Launceston, Cornwall, England.
1080
A motte and bailey castle is built at Totnes, Devon, England.
1087 - 1089
Construction of the first stone version of Rochester Castle in England.
c. 1093
A motte and bailey castle is built at Caernarfon in Wales by the Normans.
1095 - 1115
The hall keep is added to Norwich Castle, Norfolk, England.
c. 1100
The motte and bailey Restormel Castle, Cornwall, England is built.
c. 1105
Corfe Castle, Dorset, England is built.
1122
Carlisle Castle, Cumbria, England is built.
c. 1125
The tower keep of Arques Castle, Normandy, France is built by Henry I of England.
1127 - 1136
The tower keep is built at Rochester Castle, England.
1127
Construction begins of Scarborough Castle, Yorkshire, England
1130
Etampes Castle is built, near Paris, France. The tower keep is circular on the outside and square inside.
1131
The castle of Bari, southern Italy is built by Count Roger I.
1136
The Knights Hospitaller are given the castle of Beth Gibelin, Jerusalem.
c. 1138
Castle Rising Castle, Norfolk, England is built.
c. 1138
The tower keep of Farnham Castle, Surrey, England is built.
c. 1142
A tower keep is added to Hedingham Castle, Essex, England.
1144
The Knights Hospitaller acquire the castle of Krak des Chevaliers in Syria.
c. 1150
A stone shell keep is built at Cardiff Castle, Wales .
1150 - 1175
The Caesar's Tower castle keep at Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire, England is built.
1157 - 1169
The tower keep of Scarborough Castle, Yorkshire, England is built.
1157
The castle of Eltz, Germany is built by the counts of Eltz.
1165 - 1173
Orford Castle, Suffolk, England is built and has a circular tower keep with attached rectangular turrets.
1168 - 1178
A tower keep is added to Newcastle Castle, England.
c. 1170 - 1189
Henry II extends Dover Castle in southern England, adding outer walls and a keep.
c. 1170
Henry II builds the Round Tower of Windsor Castle, England.
1174
The castle of Munzenberg, Hesse, Germany is built.
1180 - 1190
The tower keep is built at Conisbrough Castle, Doncaster, England.
1180
The Castle of the Counts of Flanders, Ghent, Belgium is built.
c. 1180 - 1205
Carrickfergus castle, Northern Ireland is built.
1186
The Knights Hospitaller gain control of Marqab (Margat) castle in Syria.
c. 1190
Sir William Marshal begins rebuilding Chepstow Castle in Wales.
c. 1190 - 1200
The castle of Trim, the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland is built.
1198
Chateau Gaillard in Normandy, France is built by Richard I of England.
1199 - 1219
Sir William Marshal adds a circular tower keep to Pembroke Castle, Wales.
c. 1200
The tower keep of Barnard Castle, County Durham, England is built.
1202
An earthquake damages the castle of Krak des Chevaliers in Syria which is then rebuilt and enlarged by the Knights Hospitaller.
1205
Philip II of France adds a tower keep to Chinon Castle, France.
1206
A round tower keep is built into the curtain walls of Gisors, Normandy, France.
c. 1207 - c. 1214
King John adds towers to the walls of Dover Castle in southern England.
1216
The castle of Calatrava la Nueva, Castile is built by the Order of Calatrava.
1218
The Château Pèlerin ("Pilgrim Castle") is built in Israel by the Knights Templar.
1222 - 1235
The Great Hall of Winchester Castle is built.
1223
Work is begun on Montgomery Castle, Wales by Hubert de Burgh.
c. 1225
A circular tower keep is built at Chateau de Coucy, northern France
1230 - 1240
The curtain walls and round towers of Angers Castle, central France, are built by Louis IX.
1233
Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II rebuilds the castle of Bari, southern Italy.
1240
Dirleton Castle, East Lothian, Scotland is built with a massive circular tower keep.
1245
Clifford's Tower shell keep is built at York, England on the site of a former motte and bailey castle.
1250 - 1265
A double-towered gatehouse is added to Tonbridge Castle, Kent, England by Richard de Clare.
1250 - 1260
The castle of Najac in southern France is built.
1268
Construction of Caerphilly Castle in Wales is begun by Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester.
1282 - 1289
Harlech Castle in Wales is built by Edward I of England.
1282
The Castel Nuovo of Naples, southern Italy is built by the Angevins.
1283 - 1330
Caernarfon Castle in Wales is built, a project begun by Edward I of England.
1283 - 1330
Harlech Castle in Wales is built by Edward I of England.
1283 - 1292
Conwy Castle in Wales is built by Edward I of England.
1285
A new Great Hall is completed at Chepstow Castle.
c. 1287 - 1293
The Marten's Tower is added to Chepstow Castle, Wales.
1290
The castle of Falkenberg, Bavaria, Germany is built.
1295
Beaumaris Castle in Wales is built by Edward I of England.
1322
The Castle of Sarzanello, Pisa, Italy is built by Castruccio Castracane.
1341
The Great Hall is built at Penshurst Castle, Kent, England.
c. 1350
The Caesar's Tower is built at Warwick Castle, Warwickshire, England.
1354
Scalliger Castle, Verona, Italy is built by Can Grande II della Scala.
1380
The Castello della Rocca of Cesena, Italy is built.
1385
The Castello d'Este, Ferrara, Italy is built.
1385
Bodiam Castle in East Sussex, England is built.
1390 - 1400
The castle of Pierrefonds, northern France is built by Louis D'Orleans.
1412
The Castello Sforzesco, Milan - the largest castle in Italy - is built by Francesco Sforza.
1450
The castle of Peñafiel, northern Spain is built.

Medieval Castle

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