Castles

=**Castle's Use**= = =

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Castles were mainly used for military reasons. A castle was a sign of conquering a certain territory and to strike fear into local people living in the area. Castles were used to symbolize power and wealth. Castles were built with a drawbridge so when they were under attack they would be able to pick up the bridge. Castles were very secure back in the day and had great defensive qualities, mainly to protect the king and his servants. They also had built in windows for archers to attack their enemy back so a good castle had defensive and well as offensive advantages. ====== =__**[]. Castles**__=
 * "Castles in Medievil Times//." Owl and Mouse//. 1998. Owl & Mouse Educational Software Web. 27 Jan 2010.

The Middle Ages lasted from about 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D. and was plagued by war. Casltes main purpose was for protection and were strongholds against these enemies. Castles other main purpose was served as homes for king's and there royal family. The Middle Ages also marked the beginning of castles in the countries of England, Spain, Geremy and other European nations. This introduction while include both the inside features of castles along with the outside, it will also include the history behind castles of the Middle Ages. =History= "The Middle Ages ehcompass one of the most violent periods in English History and are epitomized by the castles of the Middle Ages." Castles in the Middle Ages, are still very much like the castles we observe today. Weather these castles were restored or untouched, most of them date back to the time of the Middle Ages. Some castles changed as time progressed, due to key historical events. "The Mormans were responsiable for the development of the great stone English castles during the Medieval period of the Middle Ages." "In Medieval Europe the first castles appeared in the 9th cetury." Castles served for many reasons through out the Middle Ages. "These large buildings served not only to defend the country from foreign invaders but as the basic tool in preserving the king's and the noble's power over the land." Altogether castles in the Middle Ages were first created for protection against foreign enemies, and also to house the king's and there royal family. Castles now are used for the basis of sight-seeing. Castles impacted the middle ages by creating new forms of protection for royalty. Castles weere mostly for military purposes. Castles served a very utilitarian role in feudal society.

=Castle Exteriors= Early castles were built of wood, but were later built out of stone to make them sturdier. Most castles were surrounded by a moat and a bailey which is a large area of land placed next to the moat. Sometimes there was a tower by the moat which served as a watch tower. Castles made out of wood and land weren’t sturdy because the wood would rot very quickly and it was easy for an enemy to burn it down. That’s why they decided to start building castles out of stone, which was much more efficient. The walls of castles were thick (8-20 feet thick) so they could stand the force of being hit. Overtime designers decided to change the shape of castles so they didn’t fall as much and was able to support it self more. Originally, to build castles they used square blocks which easily fell apart. Designers began building round towers because this proved to be a more effective shape to withstand force during battle. Round towers also provided more space on the interior. Some castles were also built with a splayed plinth which added more support to the base. Other ideas later built were the curtain wall and the drawbridge. The curtain wall surrounded the castle and served as protection from invaders. A large door called a drawbridge was on the curtain wall and would be lowered to cross the moat for entry. Lastly castles were built on high hills to see who was approaching far from the countryside.

=Inside a Castle= Inside the walls of a castle were cold damp rooms, and the only source of light was from the sun during the day and the fireplace that lit the big rooms during the night. The most famous room in a castle was the castle’s hall which was one large room with a high ceiling and was usually set on the ground but later castles raised their hall to the second floor for security reasoning. Early halls were said to be aisled with wooden posts or stone pillars. The windows were built in gaps that shut close with wooden shutters that locked shut with a iron bar. Later windows that were built into castles were cleverly built with glass. The floor in the hall was the plain earth and carpets were used to decorate the tables, walls, and benches rather then on the floor. If the hall was placed on the second floor, the floor was built with sturdy timber and held up with strong wooden post. The hall was able to be reached by either a side door when on the first floor but on the second floor the hall was able to be reached by an outdoor staircase that stayed close to the keep of the castle. Inside the hall usually held 2 massive chairs for the Lord and his Lady and the others were sitting on benches. The room was lit with a fireplace and candles that were set around the room. In the kitchen inside a castle was mainly built by wood. Kitchens usually had many fireplaces to cook meat and to heat their cauldron. The animals for eating were kept near by a kitchen and were slaughtered and a garden was nearby for their vegetables and fruits. Extra kitchens were also built around in a castle for feasting purposes. In the early castles, domestic families slept in the far end of a hall that was merely separated by curtains or sheets. The lord and his lady were on the other end of the hall, usually over a store room. The castles usually had a chapel as well where they usually had mass in the mornings.

= Famous Castles = There are many famous castles around the world. In a few countries castles are still inhabited, including the Windsor Castle in Thames River England. Queen Elizabeth II currently lives in this castle. This castle represents royalty and has been rebuilt and added onto over the course of many years. There are even a few castles in America, one being the Belcourt Castle in Rhode Island and The Breakers and Ochre Court Castle, which were built in early 20th century.

One of the main events that brought castles to England was the Norman invasion of 1066. - Krystin Chiancone

Castles impacted people's view of class systems back then. Those who had big castles could control the peasants because they were the people who controlled their livelihood. Also castles at that time were symbols of power and wealth. - Jaspreeti Singh

= = Work-Cited [] []. Joseph and Frances, Gies. "Life in a Medieval Castle." //welcome to the castles of wales//. 1974. Web. 27 Jan 2010. []. Medieval castles were usually built on a high area. Built up to be a citadel city heavily fortified to with stand siege attacks for even years. In the middle ages they were the most effective defense.
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