Concentric Castles

Example of a Concentric Castle

     A concentric castle is literally a castle within a castle. These castles were designed by architect Master James of St. George for King Edward I in Wales specifically to withstand sieges and destroy the attackers. These castles were surrounded entirely by moats and had several gatehouses. The interior hosted fresh running water, plumbing, and larger windows for the inhabitants. The disadvantages of such a large castle rested heavily on the upkeep of it. A vast amount of skilled workers were required just to keep a single concentric castle in good condition after being built.

Beaumaris in Beaumaris, Wales

     Concentric castles were built with hard chalk, flint, limestone, and sandstone over a fresh water well or a spring. Like any castle, a heavy siege of ballistas and trebuchets could bring down the walls which made the curtain (outer) wall effective against the attackers. Even when attackers managed to knock down part of the outer wall from a distance, they still had the moat to contend with first. The moat could be filled with any number of things ranging from sewer water with wooden spikes to flammable oil or tar. If the attackers managed to breach the moat and pass through the outer wall, they would be inside the outer bailey with defending archers above them. A death trap for the attackers before they're even able to breach the inner wall.
     All of the towers were rounded, as you see in the first picture. This prevented blind spots and mining underneath corners to collapse entire walls. With a wider range of view, defenders could attack from different directions and there was no corner for the attackers to hide around which made these round towers far more effective. The inner walls were built higher than the outer walls so that the defenders could see their attackers on the other side of the moat.
     If you would like to learn more, here are some follow-up sites on concentric castles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaumaris_Castle
http://www.ancientfortresses.org/concentric-castles.htm

Castle Caernarfon, Chateau Gaillard, Warwick Castle

     Castle Caernarfon, built by the English King Edward I, was intended to be a palace rather than a military fortress. Caernarfon is positioned at the mouth of the Seiont River and it was there at the castle that the first English Prince of Wales, Edward I's son, was born in 1284, just a year after Castle Caernarfon was completed.

     The Chateau Gaillard was made in one year by over 6,000 builders under the instruction of Richard the Lionheart. The fortress was created to keep King Philip Augustus of France from invading Normandy. Gaillard features a second rampart made of nineteen arcs of a circle with arrow slits. Not only did it give archers full access to any enemy soldiers, its round shape made projectiles less useful. The Chateau Gaillard also had two wells within its five-meters-thick walls.

     In 1068, Warwick Castle was built by William the Conqueror. It was used as fortification until Sir Fulke Greville converted it in the early 17th century into a country house. Warwick Castle has undergone many structural changes. The main structural difference being that the castle was rebuilt with stone in the 12th century, rather than remaining its previous wooden motte-and-bailey. Warwick Castle's history is long and bloody.

(Pictures courtesy of Yahoo Image Search.)

Castles of the Middle Ages

     From the early wooden Motte and Bailey castles to great fortresses of stone, the castles' designs became more complex over time. The Tower of London, Warwick Castle, Leeds Castle, Windsor Castle, Caernarfon Castle, and the Chateau Gaillard are just some examples of castles(if you didn't realize that by their names; plus, when have I ever gone completely off-topic?). Living in a castle was either very hard work or excruciatingly boring. When were castles first built? Around 1066 and the first were constructed of wood. The Normans were the first to build Motte and Bailey castles before using another wonderful building material that didn't burn as easily; stone. Castles constructed of stone were created for both attack and defense. However, there was still a serious issue with the castles. If and when a siege took place, the castle became a death trap unless the army trapped in the castle either surrendered or managed to break through the opposing army to get much-needed supplies. Concentric castles were then built under the order of King Edward I(also known as Longshanks) by Master James of St. George. Concentric castles were heavily defended with designs including the drawbridge, barbican, portcullis, gatehouse, moat, crenellations, and murder holes. A simple question to readers: Is Castillo de San Marcos a concentric castle?

Picture at the top: An example of a Motte and Bailey. To the upper left, the Chateau Gaillard. To the bottom left, Castillo de San Marcos.

All pictures courtesy of Yahoo Image Search.

The Bayeux Tapestry

    To begin with, the Bayeux Tapestry is not really a tapestry but an embroidery. When and how was it made? On July 4, 1077, the Bayeux Tapestry was first shown at Odo's cathedral and nuns embroidered scenes of the Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings on eight linen panels which were eventually sewn together. It is believed that it took around ten years for the Bayeux Tapestry to be completed. The entire emroidery consists of seventy-two scenes(pictures) and was probably meant to decorate the cathedral of Bayeux in Normandy, France. The entire length is two hundred and fourteen feet with a width of about twenty inches. Have a guess as to where the Bayeux Tapestry is preserved at. Correct, at Bayeux in France.

Many thanks to Yahoo for supplying the pictures.
You can see more pictures like these at the site below: http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AjyLAXsCrWVOQDfNtDhu5vGbvZx4?p=bayeux+tapestry&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701