Page 100 - How It Works - Book of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, 12

What was it lil<e

inside a medieval

castle? Master's lodgings

This room on the second floor
of the keep is circular. Unlike
many residential quarters in
castles, it is elaborately and
The stereotypical fairy tale castle elegantly decorated.
design was actually the result of
centuries of improvement upon

existing structures

edieval castleswere an
important part of feudal society.
M They began to appear around
1o66AD with the invasion of William the
Conqueror. As he moved through England,
Scotland and Wales, William had more
than 30 castles built to help maintain
power over his newly conquered lands.
These castles served as bases for lords who
held land from king and pledged loyalty
and military service to him in return.
These lords leased parts oftheirland
to lesser lords and barons,
who had knights that
served under them.
These imposing
structures had multiple
functions. Castles were
bases of offensive
operations, defensive
strongholds, seats of government and
private residences for land-holding barons,
knights and lords and their families. Most
were built in stages over long periods of
time and modified as greater defences
were needed. Although their structures
varied, they generally consisted of a tall
building in the centre, which could
function as a residence, prison or storage Stone slope
area, surrounded by one or more walls. Crusaders built this 24·metre thick
Some castles were built on a mountain or stone slope to protect the castle's
south side. Its smoothness made it Up to four metres thick,
hilltop, or on the edges of cliffs, to make difficult for invaders to scale. with seven guard towers,
invasion that little bit more difficult. the inner wall can only be
reached by going through a
dark passageway and the
great square tower, making
Castles were bases of offensive it difficult for intruders to
operations, defensive strongholds, seats
of government and private residences

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