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.