Middle Ages: Castles
Connor Boucher
2/13/2013
Pd. 6
Over hundreds of years, Middle Age castles have evolved into the giant, heaping masses
of nearly impenetrable stone walls and forts that we know them as today. The very first castles
began around 1100 years ago, but these were not the stone foundations that took decades to
build. These buildings were made only out of wood and mud, were weaker than rock, and
could burn. Eventually, moats were built around the castles for aided protection, along with an
open area called a bailey used for storage of food and livestock. A large fence was built around
the bailey so the goods inside couldn’t be destroyed. About 200 years later, castles began to be
built out of stone. The square towers around the fort outmatched even the strongest of the old
wooden fences, but it was much harder to build. It could take years to finish the walls and
towers, and because of the rarity of stone, it often needed to be imported and was very
expensive. Notched tops of towers started to come into existence and were known as
battlements, along with windows called murder holes that were used so boiling water could be
poured on the attackers. A drawbridge in the front could be lowered or raised when needed,
and behind it was a wooden gate for extra protection if the moat was crossed. The great
castles that we know as today took many years to change and become the great fortresses of
the Middle Ages.