Castles

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 563.

The Norman Conquest of England

The beginning of the Norman invasion into Britain. The battle of Hastings. Historic place – Battle Abbey. Bayeux Tapestry – the history of conquest. The elements of Norman culture – Romanesque style, Norman castles: Leeds, Winchester, Lincoln, Bolton, Richmond castles. Gothic in England – Salisbury, Lincoln, Litchfild, Winchester cathedrals.

Questions

What were the reasons and the pretext for the Norman invasion?

What were the reasons for the defeat of the Anglo-Saxons at Hastings?

What is the Bayeux Tapestry?

What is and example of a Romanesque style in England?

Describe a Norman castle.

In what castle did Edward I, Edward II, Richard II, Henry V hold courts?

In what castle can we see the Round Table of King Arthur?

Give the examples of the three periods of English Gothic.

Thick walls and strong towers are characteristic features of Britain's castles. About 1200 castles were built in the XI and XII c., but the grandest were built in Edward's I reign (1272-1307). These include the castles of Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech, all in Wales, which were built by Edward after he defeated the Welsh leader Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. Many Scotch castles were built between the XIII and XVII c. They were tower houses, square buildings five or six floors high with small towers on top.

The castle was usually situated on top of a hill and had a reliable source of water. In the XI c. the Normans built motte and bailey castles. On top of a motte (a steep bank of earth) they built a wooden tower surrounded by a palisade (fence). Around this was a bailey (courtyard) which was surrounded by another palisade and a ditch. Later, wooden towers were replaced with stone towers, called keeps. The White Tower at the Tower of London, begun in 1078, is one of the earliest stone keeps.

In the XIII c., wooden fences were replaced by long, high curtain walls, made of stone, with battlements along the top. Many castles had a strong gatehouse or a moat which was crossed by a drawbridge.

Few castles are now lived in. Some are museums and many are open to the public.