During the Medieval era of European history, life was lived by a very different set of political, economic, and social
rules defined by feudalism. Politically, Kings and great lords ruled their territory but were connected through feudal
contracts. Feudal contracts gave lords a claim for services over their vassals (this is how a King had power over the
lords) in return, vassals could rely on the lord for protection. Feudalism also ensured that the small number of nobles
in a society were at the social and economic top. Most common people, free peasants and serfs, were required to
labor on a noble person’s land in exchange for protection from attacks. One central part of the protection scheme
was the castle.
Read the following to get an introduction to what a castle is:
Stone castles first existed in the 9th century, and were built for defense. The castle used
mortar to hold the bricks of the castle together. Walls could be as thick as thirty feet!
Passages under ground were also helpful to defenders. Castles had many parts to them. There
was the Keep, the Sentry Walk, the moat, the Inner and Outer Bailey, the Inner and Outer
gatehouse, the Curtain and the Drawbridge, for some examples. They were often built on high
mountains and/or surrounded by a moat. These features made it more difficult to successfully
attack a castle. A drawbridge lay across the moat and could be raised when under attack.
Comfort is not what castles were designed for. A castle was built to be a fort and was designed
to withstand a siege. The castle also had an Inner and Outer wall. In case the enemy got
through the Outer wall the Inner wall was also protective to the king and his servants. The
Outer wall was covered in merlons which are steel plates so it is harder to get through the
wall. The holes in the wall were made for defenders to fire arrows at the enemy. There were
also holes in the ceiling and floo, known as murder holes. This allows castle inmates to look
down and see if the intruder was friendly or not. If he did not look friendly they would pour a
sticky substance called Greek Fire which can easily burn through flesh and kill them. A
crusader castle often had a second and third wall for defense. That is the design of a castle.
A castle had many defenses. One of them is that the walls had small slits in them. They were
called arrow loops. These allowed the defenders to shoot arrows out at the enemy. They stood
on ledges or galleries. If one defender died the rest fought on! Round walls made each part of
the castle harder to hit. Outer walls gradually got thicker and were harder to get through and
harder to get over. Doors and gates had thick iron plates on them and needed more protection
because they were wooden. A series of walls would be found farther from the moat so it would
be even harder for the enemy. The castle could not get fresh food under attack. When their
supplies ran out they would have to surrender. So the defenders had to get rid of the enemy
before the supplies were gone.
A castle could attack in many ways. Giant crossbows and cannons were some of the main
sources of attack for a castle. They also used catapults, crossbows, and bow and arrows. They
started lighting arrows on fire for more destruction . Soldiers or Knights used ladders or
scaling towers to climb over walls. They also used a battering ram to Knock down walls.
Castles were very important in the Middle Ages.
You are a Medieval Castle Builder living in Europe. You are hired by the Baron William de
Clare to build him a fantastic castle.
Note any geographical features that you will want to accommodate in your plans. For instance,
what types of geographic landforms do you want near your castle? (sea, river, mountain, desert,
lake, etc...)
Pick a location in Europe where you want to build your castle and describe that location in the
following space (what modern country is it in and describe the natural setting) Even provide a
picture if possible (cite your source):
The Baron wants his castle to not only be beautiful, but also the most defensible castle ever built.
You are confident that you can build the Baron this castle because you have the technology to
gather information about many different castles from all over the world and select the best
features from each.
Your design may take the shape of a three-dimensional model or a sculpture. The design must be
complete and detailed and must give the viewer a true sense of what the castle will look like
when it is actually built.
STEP 1: Daily Life in a Castle
An Internet site which will be very valuable for you to look at to learn about castles is:
http://www.castlewales.com/life.html
This site will give you information on daily life in a castle.
Your assignment for STEP 1 is to answer each of the following questions regarding castle life in your
Builder’s Journal:
1. * What is the importance of a "Great Hall" in a castle?
2. * What did a typical hall look like? Flooring? Lighting?
3. * Describe how heating was accomplished in the Medieval halls.
4. * Describe the kitchens usually found in Medieval castles.
5. * Explain how the main bedrooms and guest rooms were laid out in the castle.
6. * What were squints used for?
7. * Did castles have water accessible on all floors? Explain.
8. * Where was the chapel located in early castles?
9. * How are guests seated when they come for dinner?
10. * List four things you learned about knights.
STEP 2: Castle Specifications
Once you have answered the questions from STEP 1, you are ready to review Baron
William de Clare's specific requirements.
Use the following Internet sites to help you determine the specific things that the Baron is
asking for in his castle.
http://www.castlewales.com/casterms.html
http://www.castlesontheweb.com/glossary.html
The Baron is a man of wealth and requires the following 5 items be included in his castle:
A.
Great Hall
D.
Water Source
B.
Donjon or Keep
E.
Food Storage area
C.
Chapel
In addition, he requires that you include at least 20 of the following in your design:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
wicket
allure
turret
arch
rampart
aumbry
postern gate
bailey
paraphet
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
barbican
parados
battlement
outer ward
buttery
outer curtain
buttress
murder holes
crosswall
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
moat
dormer
drawbridge
gate house
dungeon
garderobe
great chamber
gallery
15 of these terms need to be labeled EITHER in your blueprint or on your actual castle.
STEP 3: Castle Research
Once you have made a list of all of Baron de Clare's requests, you may begin researching other castles
for design ideas. A good place to begin your search is at :
http://www.castlesontheweb.com
or
http://www.castlewales.com/
As you browse through other castles, be sure to look for features that will help you make the Baron's
castle as strong as possible. In other words, it must be able to withstand the strongest and longest attack
from any enemy! Some good information on castle defenses can be found at:
http://www.castlewales.com/siege.html
This site will give you lots of information on how to design your castle to withstand attacks successfully.
STEP 4: Castle Layout and Design
Now that you have researched several different castles, it is time to begin a blueprint of the Baron's
Castle. Begin by establishing the dimensions of the castle, be sure it is large enough to accommodate all
of the castle inhabitants, including the peasants and serfs, in case of a siege.
Next, draw an outline of the main castle and of all the outbuildings that you will need. Include all
gardens and food storage facilities that you will need. Remember food capacity is crucial to survive in
case the castle is under siege. Many sieges lasted for several months to a year in Medieval times!
You may use graph paper, automated design software or a ruler to draw the dimensions of the castle to
scale. Drawing to scale means you must choose a standard scale for measuring so that each building is in
proportion with the others. For example, each 10 square feet of castle space may equal 1 inch on your
blueprint. You may choose your own scale.
Be sure that each area of your blueprint is clearly marked with dimensions and has its function clearly
labeled.
STEP 5: Castle Model
Now that you have completed your blueprint, begin the construction of the model. Your rendering may
take the form of a three-dimensional model or a sculpture. Your materials will vary depending on the
type of model you produce.
NO LEGOS!!! NO PUZZLES!!!
Minimum size: 2’ x 2’ Maximum size: 5’ x 5’ (Nothing longer than 5 feet!!)
Other resources:
The following Internet site can also help you in your research:
http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/n/x/nxd10/castle/castles.htm
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html
STEP 6: Analysis Paper (PRICES)
Congratulations on building the strongest castle ever! Unfortunately, the Baron is never satisfied. He
wants you to write a brief paper (no more than two typed pages) about your creation that he can show to
his fellow lords to impress them.
In the paper you must:
1.
Describe the features of your castle that would enable it to withstand an attack and outlast a
siege.
2.
Respond to THREE of the following questions:
A. How does the castle you designed reinforce the political structure of medieval Europe?
B. How does your castle demonstrate the importance of religion in medieval life?
C. What aspects of medieval culture influenced your decisions as a builder most?
D. How does your model or blueprint reflect the main economic realities of medieval life?
E. How does the castle you designed reinforce the dominant social structure of medieval
Europe?
Keep in mind that you are not writing for an academic audience at the university, you are writing for a
noble who wants to impress his friends. You must be accurate but not boring.
PaRT 1: Questions and Research

Answer the questions found in Step 1 of the process (worth 5 points)

Include research notes and sheets (worth 5 points)
Part 2: Understanding of Terms

Include the 5 required terms on either blueprint or castle model

Include at least 15 of the 26 terms requested by the Baron as listed

Terms MUST be labeled either on blueprint or on the model
o
_____/10
_____/10
Terms should ‘stick out’ and be easy to find (Highlighted, different colored font, toothpicks and flags…)
Part 3: Drawing Plan / Blueprint
_____/10

Create a design drawing for your castle (planned, close to scale, blueprint)
o
This drawing should be part of your process that occurs BEFORE you begin the actual building of your castle
Part 4: Castle Model
_____/45

Build a model of your castle plan

Use any substance except Legos or puzzles for the castle (Legos or puzzle-items may be used to supplement your castle model)

Castle base minimum is 2 feet by 2 feet and a maximum base of 5 feet by 5 feet

Castle model should be an accurate and authentic creation of your drawing

Castle should be ‘grandiose’ and ‘powerful’ for the Baron to impress the subjects of his kingdom as well as other neighboring Barons

Castle design should be creative
_____/25
Part 5: Defensibility Rationale

The final entry into your Builder’s Journal should be an essay (no more than 2 typed pages) that thoroughly explains the defensive
attributes of your castle.

Identify and explain a minimum of 5 defensive features which makes your castle practical and effective
o
Explain you castle’s features that would enable it to withstand an attack and outlast a siege.
o
Explain the specific features of your castle that would help it to be a successful fortress of protection for the Baron and his
subjects.

Respnse to three of the five other PRICES components

This rationale is very important to show that you and your group understand the true function and practical purposes of
medieval European castles.
Each group is expected to turn in a Builder’s Journal, which will be a three-ring binder that includes
all of the information required above as well as other information that the group used in their castle
building process.
TOTAL>>>>>>>>
All work must be cited or no credit will be given!!
______ / out of 100