The Motte and Bailey Castle

Motte and Bailey Castle

Origin

 Not a whole lot is known about the origin of the motte-and-bailey Castle. Lack of good records, and its being made of impermanent materials make it a more difficult object of study. However, it is believed by historians to have some Viking and/or Frankish influence. The earliest known motte-and-bailey castles were found in Flanders and France. Built during the time of the viking raids, they are believed to have been made first as a sort of army camp. This design was then believed to have been brought to England by the Normans when they invaded in 1066. The Normans were also known to be of viking descent.

The Design

The motte, or mound, was the tallest point of the castle. It could be a leveled-off, natural foundation, though most often it was man-made. Generally it was very steep and would have been extremely difficult to scale. At the base would have been a deep ditch, which may or may not have been filled with water. At the top was a palisade surrounding the keep. On the inside of this palisade there was often a raised walkway where military could watch for flares from villages under attack.

The keep was the strongest and usually last defense of the castle. This is where the Lord and his Lady lived. The keep, in many castles, also housed servants and personal military. Military would have been housed on the ground floor, while the Lord's family would occupy the upper. In other cases the military were housed in a barracks in the bailey. This depended mostly on the Lord's preference, and the size of the keep.

The palisade that surrounded both the motte and bailey was believed in many cases to be made of very tall piked logs or pointed planks about 2.5m (8ft.) high. Some excavation evidence also shows that some of these were plastered over, perhaps to give the appearance of being made of stone from a distance.

A wooden bridge connected the motte to the bailey. This bridge was also often lined by its own palisade. For additional defense, this bridge also could have a draw bridge, usually placed at either the bottom or the top, that could be partially drawn up to leave a large gap over top of the ditch in between. 

The bailey was called the courtyard or ward. It housed the buildings belonging to the Lord, such as the main hall, the chapel, workshops, stables, kitchen, storerooms, guardrooms, etc. Buildings in the bailey could be made of stone (like the chapel), wood, or even wattle and daub. Roofs were thatched and covered with straw and, unfortunately, easily caught on fire as a result. Some livestock was also kept inside the bailey. This courtyard was also surrounded by the palisade and a deep ditch that would sometimes hold water (moat).
Note: Some larger castles of this style included more then one bailey. These additional baileys may house some nobles, or those close to the Lord. Another outer bailey may house crafters, and another the peasants or common work force (village).

The gateway usually boasted a wooden tower of sorts. This could be guarded from the top by soldiers as a first defense. This is also the location of the first draw bridge which could easily be drawn or lowered over the ditch or moat.


General Information
This style of castle was very popular during the Early Middle Ages, mostly due to the fact that it was easily and quickly built. With forced man power, of course. A well supplied workforce could construct a motte and bailey in weeks. A stone castle could take years. However, the weakness of the motte-and-bailey castle was its flammability. Thus, the eventual change to stone.


I hope you find this information helpful! Feel free to ask questions! :)