Medieval Castles

Castles in the Medieval Period, 500 A.D to 1500 A.D, did not signify only
beauty and wealth, yet stood as protection. The owners of these towering shelters
were kings that would often have a family whom would house there as well. The
amount of people living in these castles were so large that some would mistaken
them as small communities during war time. While peace was occurring, there
would be as little as ten knights and their horses in the fortress. The castle was
fortification for the king; a place where he could defend himself and live that
accentuated his power. It also stood as an impervious home for both him and his
knights.
These elaborate buildings were made of minimal materials, for not many
were available. Both thatch and slate were used for the roof. For the remainder of
the castle, stone and wood were used. Wood was often constructed with less
because of it’s flammability. Stone, on the other hand, could hold a significant
amount of weight and the maintenance was very low once the structure was built.
However, the conditions for being surrounded by stone were difficult. The castle
was very damp, frigid and let in little to no light. Many of the castles were abnormal
shapes, for it was built to fit the terrain it was made on. Since the terrain was usually
not very easy to work with, the castles were built on raised platforms and were
asymmetric. Paths and roads leading to this structure were sloped in many angles
because of the landscape as well.
The architecture on the outside of the fortress included whitewash and
pennants. The pennants were luminous colors that had the lord’s symbol scribed on
them. They would sway among the wind on top of the towers.
The largest reason of all that these castles were built was in order to keep
enemies away. The drawbridge aided in allowing for this to happen. When enemies
drew near, the bridge would raise, gates would shut and archers, clergymen, were
appointed a spot on a tower. If an enemy were to make his way up and or over the
walls, they could be easily shot from various locations.
How would one grow crops when there were attacking figures corrupting
their grounds? Most food was grown inside the walls of the castle, yet in some
instances, that was nearly not enough to feed the population living in this royal
home. Fish ponds, gardens, fruit trees, peasants and hunting supplied them with the
diet they needed.
Overall, the castles in the Medieval Period were very significant for safety,
housing and power. They worked with minimal materials and made elaborate
buildings that protected many from danger.