Middle Ages Castles
Jennifer Chen
2/13/13
Period 2
Castles are built with great features that protect what is inside and are built for the people to
live in during the Middle Ages. Some living features are that only the richest and the most
important people were the only ones that lived in castles. Everyone met at the great hall, which
was the castle’s center, for meals. The noble family slept at one end of the Great Hall. They were
usually separated by a curtain or screen and their rooms were called solars. Some protective
features of castles are that they were important for protecting the kingdom and everyone from
enemies’ attacks. They were built of stone and had a commanding position over the country-side.
Castles that were built of stone allowed architects to develop better methods to make the castle a
safer place to live in. They were built on hilltops or mountains to make it harder for enemies to
attack and defenders could see the enemy approaching. Mural towers gave defenders a clear
view of the enemy. This allowed archers to shoot the enemies that were attacking them. Crenels
helped defenders fire longbows and crossbows from a far distance of the enemy before they
could get closer to them. With more research on the castle’s protective features and living
features, readers will be able to learn that castles were a great deal of appreciation in the Middle
Ages.