bailey castle bailey castle fortification wooden stone situated raised called accompanied enclosed courtyard bailey surrounded protective ditch relatively easy build forced labour militarily formidable castles built northern europe 10th century onwards spreading france 11th century introduced design england wales following invasion bailey castles adopted scotland ireland low countries denmark 12th 13th centuries end 13th century design largely superseded alternative forms fortification earthworks remain prominent feature countries architecture structures bailey castle structures type mound artificial topped wooden stone structure known bailey fortified enclosure built term bailey relatively modern medieval origin word french version latin france word initially early word turf refer turf bank 12th century refer castle design word bailey comes norman french referring low yard medieval sources latin term describe bailey complex castles contemporary account structures comes describing region northern france described nobles build mound earth high dig ditch wide deep possible space mound enclosed strong logs strengthened intervals towers means provide inside enclosure citadel commands circuit defences entrance fortress means bridge rising outer moat supported posts reaches mound contemporaries described bailey superstructure arose rising earth rising thin air strong house beauty earth flattened hard determine mound artificial natural excavation built older artificial structures size varied considerably metres metres height feet feet metres metres diameter feet feet minimum height metres feet usually intended exclude smaller non military purposes england wales taller metres high metres metres tall protected ditch typically source earth soil constructing mound protective wall usually built walls large wall walk outer walls wall walk strengthened filling gap wooden walls earth stones allowing carry weight called smaller support simple towers room soldiers whilst larger equipped building wooden keeps designed square building upper floors building enabling better defences structural design early 12th century chronicler described wooden castle storey surface ground great boxes domestic storey dwelling common living rooms residents rooms great chamber lord wife slept upper storey house rooms storey servants appointed house took sleep wooden structures protected skins hides prevent easily set siege bailey enclosed courtyard overlooked surrounded wooden fence called ditch bailey kidney shaped fit circular shapes according terrain bailey contain wide number buildings including hall chapel barracks stores stables workshops centre castle economic activity bailey linked flying bridge stretching popularly england steps cut typically ditch bailey joined forming figure castle possible nearby streams rivers diverted creating water filled artificial lakes forms water defences practice wide number variations common design castle bailey castle inner outer bailey constructed alternatively flank windsor castle lincoln square instead round instead single ditches occasionally double ditch defences built seen local geography intent builder produced unique designs construction maintenance methods build natural hill produce need create artificial mound commonly constructed hand methods existed building mound tower mound built tower placed tower alternatively built original ground surface buried mound tower potentially built original ground surface partially buried mound buried forming cellar beneath tower built mound added later regardless artificial built earth work undertaken hand wooden hand possibly picks later periods larger took effort build smaller volumes earth involved largest england estimated required man days work smaller ones required little contemporary accounts talk built matter days low figures led suggestions historians figures refer construction smaller design later seen sites concerned taking account estimates likely available manpower period historians estimate larger taken months build contrasted favourably stone keeps period typically took years build little skilled labour required build bailey castles attractive forced peasant labour available case norman invasion england local workforce paid clones ireland built imported labourers costs rise quickly case reaching type soil difference design clay soils support whilst soils meant need gentle available layers different sorts earth clay gravel chalk alternatively build strength design layers turf added built core stones placed heart structure provide strength similar issues applied defensive ditches designers found wider ditch dug deeper sides making defensive militarily describes required frequent maintenance soil wash problem particularly clad wood stone protect time suffered damage flooding requiring repairs work bailey castles best known castle design numerous given area popular alternative castle involving built raised earth protected ditch choice bailey partially driven terrain typically built low ground deeper clay soils factor speed faster build castles later converted bailey designs filling centre produce flat topped reasons decision taken unclear bailey castles felt prestigious easier defend theory like netherlands raising height castle create drier site history emergence design bailey castle particularly northern european phenomenon numerous normandy britain seen denmark germany occasionally european castles emerged 9th 10th centuries fall empire resulted territory divided individual lords princes local territories threatened norse background explanations forward explain origins spread bailey design northern europe tension academic community explanations stress military social reasons rise design suggestion castles built particularly order protect external attack argued began build protect viking raids design spread deal attacks hungarian argument given links style castle viking descent fact originally viking design transported normandy bailey castle certainly effective assault historian suggests historical archaeological record military operation bailey castles remains relatively limited alternative approach focuses links form castle termed feudal mode society spread bailey castles usually closely tied creation local feudal landowners areas method governance rarely built castles theory suggests design emerged result pressures space earliest converted finally link local geography building bailey castles usually built low lying areas cases subject regular flooding regardless reasons initial popularity bailey design widespread agreement castles widely adopted normandy territory 10th 11th centuries initial development 10th 11th centuries earliest purely documentary evidence bailey castles normandy comes combination documentary archaeological evidence pushes date bailey castle castles built powerful lords late 10th 11th centuries particular iii son built great number earliest castles appeared crude later standards power prestige builders duke normandy believed adopted bailey design neighbouring went prohibit building castles consent legal definition castles classic bailey features banking 11th century castles built spanned central europe typically took form enclosure lower ground tall free standing tower german largest castles known german defined inner outer courts bailey design began spread northern alps france half 11th century spreading subsequent years form castle closely associated newly cultivated areas empire new lords granted lands emperor built castles close local town bailey castle building substantially enhanced prestige local nobles suggested early adoption cheaper way imitating prestigious usually regarded unlikely cases converted bailey designs burying existing castle towers england william invaded normandy resulting phases castle building england bailey pattern establishment new king royal castles key strategic locations including towns urban castles use existing town walls fortification typically required demolition local houses space cause extensive damage records suggest lincoln houses destroyed cambridge second waves castle building century led major junior knights new estates regional patterns castle building seen relatively castles built compared west england marches example probably relatively settled prosperous nature east england reflected shortage labour constructing wales wave norman castles predominantly wood mixture bailey designs norman invaders spread valleys form castle occupy new territories norman conquest england wales building bailey castles normandy accelerated resulting broad castles norman territories bailey castles england wales expansion 12th 13th centuries having established normandy germany britain bailey castles began adopted mainly northern europe 12th 13th centuries conflict low countries encouraged castle building number regions late 12th century 14th century flanders bailey castles began relatively early end 11th century rural bailey castles followed traditional design urban castles lacked traditional parts town role instead bailey castles flanders particularly numerous south fiercely contested border coast relatively society initially discouraged building bailey castles raised dwelling lacked towers usually lower height typical created instead end medieval period gave way non residential defensive towers like owned increasingly powerful nobles landowners local lords high degree independence 12th 13th centuries owing wider conflict power neighbouring flanders lords built gave way larger constructions effectively later termed bergen called refuge castles 12th 13th centuries number turned new built scratch known probable bailey castles design believed built borders modern netherlands neighbouring denmark bailey castles appeared somewhat later 12th 13th centuries limited numbers feudal society handful bailey castles norway built half 11th century including royal residence oslo design play role north scandinavia norman expansion wales slowed 12th century remained ongoing threat remaining native rulers response welsh princes lords began build castles frequently bailey designs usually wood indications begun onwards documentary evidence native welsh castle timber castles including equivalent quality equivalent norman fortifications area prove difficult distinguish builders sites archaeological evidence bailey castles scotland emerged consequence royal authority 12th century david encouraged norman french nobles settle scotland introducing feudal mode use castles way controlling contested quasi independent resisted rule david predecessors particular focus size scottish castles primarily wooden bailey constructions varied considerably larger designs smaller castles like bailey castles introduced ireland following norman invasion ireland began henry_ii england occupation southern eastern ireland number barons rapid norman success depended key economic military advantages cavalry enabled norman successes battles castles enabled control newly conquered territories new lords rapidly built castles protect possessions bailey constructions strongly defended unlike wales indigenous irish lords appear constructed castles significant number period bailey castles believed remain today identification remains contentious small number bailey castles built outside northern europe century invaded southern italy sicily technology build modern designs cases wooden bailey castles built instead reasons speed italians came refer range different castle types genuine bailey castles southern italy thought basis documentary evidence addition evidence norman building bailey sand wood egypt fifth crusade conversion decline 13th 14th centuries bailey castles popular design mid medieval period france bailey castles built start 12th century ceased built england continued erected wales marches bailey castles occupied relatively briefly england abandoned 12th century neglected allowed lapse disrepair low countries germany similar transition occurred 13th 14th centuries factor introduction stone castle building earliest stone castles emerged 10th century stone keeps built frontier including wood powerful defensive material thought stone increasingly popular military symbolic reasons existing bailey castles converted stone gatehouse usually parts upgraded shell keeps built circular stone shells running protected low protective wall base 14th century number bailey castles converted powerful stone fortresses newer castle designs placed emphasis keeps built stone popular following construction built england wales conquest country massive keeps erected settled established built called buried keeps ability especially newly built support heavier stone structures limited needed built fresh ground concentric castles relying lines defensive walls increasingly little use keeps europe bailey construction came end end 12th century welsh rulers began build castles stone primarily usually higher peaks unnecessary flanders decline came 13th century feudal society changed netherlands cheap brick started castles 13th century onwards place earthworks help develop surrounding low lying fields particularly dutch phenomenon denmark gave way 14th century model castle built fortified bailey fortified mound somewhat smaller typical 12th century castles began thin number changes land ownership abandoned germany denmark bailey castles provided model later water castle stronghold bailey construction surrounded water widely built late medieval period today england bailey earthworks uses later years cases turned garden features 18th century reused military defences second world war today bailey castles remain regular use europe exceptions windsor castle converted storage royal documents landscape northern europe remains scattered earthworks form popular tourist attractions european heritage industry
Motte-and-bailey castle