What were stone keep castles?
A Stone Keep Castle is a type of castle built in the 11th and 12th Centuries by the Normans who originally came from France. The people who built them and lived in them were typically rich noblemen and their families who wanted to show their power and status.
Who used stone keep castles?
Realising the problems surrounding the first castles, from around 1100 onwards, King William I decided to build a new type of castle called a stone keep castle. The keep (also known as a donjon) was a tower which was surrounded by a stone wall, often three metres thick.
What was the first stone keep castle in England?
The first – and most famous – stone castle was the White Tower of the Tower of London. This stone tower was begun in 1070, and marked the start of a stone-castle building spree. By the time William the Conqueror died in 1087, 86 of these had been built in the UK.
What were the advantages of stone keep castles?
Stone castles had a number of advantages over wooden motte and bailey structures: They could be built inside the walls of the motte and bailey castle, this meant that the castle was still operational whilst it was being rebuilt. Unlike a wooden castle the new stone keeps did not rot or go up in flames.
What did a castle keep look like?
A keep could be square or rectangular and often had its own small towers or turrets on top; alternatively, some were polygonal, had one curved wall, or were fully round which gave defenders an unimpeded 360-degree view.
What is the English word for the stone tower built inside of a castle?
A keep (from the Middle English kype) is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility.
Did Anglo-Saxons have stone castles?
The Anglo-Saxons did not build stone castles in the same way that the Normans did from the 11th century onwards. In fact, there is very little evidence to suggest that the Anglo-Saxons used stone to build any secular buildings at all. Apart from their stone churches, the Anglo-Saxons typically built with timber.
What are the most famous stone keep castles in England?
Many of the most well known castles in England are stone keep castles. Over 80 were built, including Windsor Castle, Lincoln Castle, Nottingham Castle and Warwick Castle. The White Tower at the Tower of London is one of the most famous stone keeps.
What is an example of a stone keep in England?
The White Tower at the Tower of London is one of the most famous stone keeps. The tower is 27 metres high and over the centuries has been used as a prison, armoury, treasury and Royal Mint. Another well preserved example of a stone keep is Dover Castle.
What were the first castles in England made of?
Consequently, as Norman control over England became more secure, new stone castles began to be built, or wooden Motte and Bailey castles were rebuilt in stone. Rochester Castle was one of the first castles built in England – and made in stone.
What materials are used to build a stone keep castle?
Stone from France was often used in the construction of the stone keeps. Most stone keep castles had kitchens on the ground floor and living quarters on the top floors. At first they were rectangular and then later designs were circular. The stone keep, or tower, was the heart of the castle.