Castles
The Middle Ages was a time of war and violence, in order to
protect themselves, and those under their charge, nobles and kings
would construct castles. They were more than just fortresses; they
were also homes and places of commerce. Over time, however, the
design of Castles changed. Castles tended to be built on hills, against
cliffs, or on islands. This was so the defenders in the castle could see
people approaching and mean they did not have to defend from all
sides at once. However before building a castle they also had to
ensure; it was close enough to the towns who paid tax to it, it could
control the trade routes, there was adequate supply of fresh water
and building materials and had enough people nearby in order to
build it and operate it.
Early Castles were called motte and bailey Castles. On top of an
earth mound (or motte) a timber and earth hut would be built.
Surrounding this was a courtyard (or bailey) which was enclosed in a
wall.
Improvement in weaponry made this form of castle inadequate
and they were replaced with stone Castles. These were stronger, and
still followed some of the ideas used by the motte and bailey type
castle. However as time progressed their designed changed and they
began to create castles with concentric walls, making it even more
difficult for someone to capture the castle.