![]() Nature could provide very effective defenses for the castle. Location Predjama Castle was built next to the cave ![]() In addition to paid workers, forced levies of labourers put thousands of men on each site and shortened construction to a few years. The string of Welsh castles Edward I of England had built were an exception in that he focused much of the resources of his kingdom on their speedy construction. Smaller ones had only a watch tower.Ĭonstruction Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, which was built between the 15th and 17th centuries Baba Vida medieval fortress build on the banks of the Danube in Vidin, BulgariaĬonstruction could sometimes take decades. Larger mottes had towers with many rooms, including the great hall. Stone towers were found in natural mounds, as artificial ones were not strong enough to support stone towers. In most cases, the tower was made of timber, though some were also made of stones. It was a raised earth mound, and varied considerably, with these mounds being 3 metres to 30 metres in height (10 feet to 100 feet), and from 30 to 90 metres (98 to 295 ft) in diameter. The motte was the final refuge in this type of castle. Inside the bailey were stables, workshops, and a chapel. Often the entrance was protected by a lifting bridge, a drawbridge or a timber gate tower. A courtyard (called a bailey) was protected by a ditch and a palisade (strong timber fence). Motte-and-bailey was the prevalent form of castle during 11th and 12th centuries. Usually, these wooden structures would have small bases at either end, creating a 'watch' and defense platform. There is evidence that harbours were fortified, with wooden structures in the water creating a semi-circle around the harbour, or jetties, as seen in an artist's reconstruction of Hedeby, in Denmark, with an opening for ships to access the land. The concept of rivers or harbours coming directly up to the walls of fortifications was especially used by the English as they constructed castles throughout Wales. Having direct access to a body of water provided a route for resupply in times of war, an additional method of transportation in times of peace, and potential drinking water for a besieged castle or fortification. It was a direct route for trading and fortification. Harbours or some sort of water access were often essential to the construction of medieval fortifications. Harbours Fortifications of Várad (now Oradea/Nagyvárad, Romania) in a 1617 print After the invention of the explosive shell, star forts became obsolete as well. Medieval walls that were no longer adequate for defending were succeeded by the star fort. However, a few, such as those of Carcassonne and Dubrovnik, survived fairly well and have been restored to a nearly complete state. By 1600, the medieval wall is likely to have been seen more as a platform for displaying hangings and the pomery as a gathering ground for spectators, or as a source of building stone and a site for its use, respectively. Very elaborate and complex schemes for town defences were developed in the Netherlands and France, but these belong mainly to the post-medieval periods. They were sometimes rebuilt, as at Berwick on Tweed, or retained for use against thieves and other threats of a lower order. By the end of the sixteenth century, the word had developed further in common use, into pomery.Īlso by that time, the medieval walls were no longer secure against a serious threat from an army, as they were not designed to be strong enough to resist cannon fire. An internal pomoerium gave ready access to the rear of the curtain wall to facilitate movement of the garrison to a point of need. The word is from the late medieval, derived from the classical Latin post murum ("behind the wall").Īn external pomoerium, stripped of bushes and building, gave defenders a clear view of what was happening outside and an unobstructed field of shot. This was a strip of clear ground immediately adjacent the wall. In many cases, the wall would have had an internal and an external pomoerium. This would have been the pattern of events in the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw in England. Especially where stone was readily available for building, the wood will have been replaced by stone to a higher or lower standard of security. In northern Europe, early in the period, walls were likely to have been constructed of wood and proofed against small forces. The downward slope on the outer side is hidden behind a fence and shrubbery Walls of Dubrovnik, CroatiaĪn exact nature of the walls of a medieval town or city would depend on the resources available for building them, the nature of the terrain, and the perceived threat. John of Jerusalem) wall in Steinfurt, Germany. Main article: Defensive wall Remains of a commandry (Order of Knights of St.
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