The First Castles

Soon after the Norman Conquest in 1066, the Norman set about making fortifications all across the British Isles to establish authority on their newly conquered land. The Motte and Bailey was a very simple construction using forced local labour and carpenters who could soon erect a fortification. The evidence of the construction comes from the Bayeaux tapestry and the Doomsday Book completed in 1087.

The motte is an artificial earthen mound with steep sides, made by piling earth up from the surrounding ditch at the base of the motte which may have been filled in by water depending upon local drainage. The top part of the motte was flat where; in some cases, a two-storied wooden tower was placed to house the feudal lord. In addition, a timber palisade of vertical logs to enclose the tower may also ring them. Although in some places, such as Framlington, the keep was not added.

The bailey was also known as a ward, contained timber buildings, and surrounded by a palisade. The archaeological excavations at Sandal Castle in Yorkshire found buildings within the ward, and at Portchester in Hampshire excavations revealed a temporary smithy erected in the courtyard

Relatively little is known about the functions of the baileys: in some cases they may have enclosed domestic buildings such as halls and kitchens; elsewhere they could have been dedicated to the accommodation of troops and war horses; alternatively, and especially in the cases of large baileys enclosures, they may have contained the houses of civilian retainers or peasants

However, some mottes were no more than guard post for the local population. such mottes can not have offered indifferent havens or guard posts for only the smallest local forces. Knapwell in Cambridgeshire is a good example of guard motte. The mounds of the mottes can be rarely dated accurately with out the use of documents but most are believed to have been built in the years, which immediately followed the conquest.

The Ringwork fortification became more widespread across Europe from 1020. The ringwork comprised of a circular earth bank surrounded by a ditch, with a palisade inside the Ringwork was domestic buildings. In England Ringwork castles were built from 1066 and 1215.

The Normans reused barrows, Saxon burhs and Romans forts such as Portchester in Hampshire which has a. castle built on top of a Roman fort constructed in the 3rd century AD with a late 11th century single storey hall in the north-west corner of the Roman fort later developing into the castle's donjon or main tower.

Archaeological excavations at south Mimms revealed a good example of the timber tower measuring 35 metres square and built on flint footing, also the archaeological evidence suggests that the tower was further strengthen by piling earth from the outer ditch first. This information has given the archaeologist an insight on how the first Norman castles were built.

Stone later replaced the wooden defences and tower during the 11^th and 12^th century. The stone keep or donjons replaced the timber towers and curtain walls replaced the wooden palisades, which surrounded the ward. The reasons for doing this was threat of fire from the attacking force which they could easily dig under the palisade or using a battering ram to punch holes in the timber