Function and Purpose of Motte-and-bailey Castles

Motte-and-bailey castles were structures that the Normans produced in mass amounts. The purpose of
these buildings was for fortification against external attacks such as the Angevins, and Viking raids. The
function of these structures was that while the enemies were in the bailey as the motte was too steep to
climb and had a ditch, called a fosse, around it, the defenders at the keep on the motte could use their
bow and arrows as the bailey was designed to be within bowshot. The strong wooden fence around the
two structures, called a palisade, would force the attackers to enter through the entrance, giving the
defenders an advantage.

Why did the Normans build so many?

The Normans chose to build these specific structures across Britain, even believed that there were as
many as 1000 built, as they were quick, cheap and easy to build and did not require hard to obtain
resources. Most of the structure was all constructed with wood. With all this easy construction, it was
still militarily formidable and supplied good fortification.

Unfortunately, as time passed and military power was advancing, in the 13th and 14th century these
structures declined. The reason for this is because of alternative solutions for better fortification and
because these were made with wood, a fire could tear one of these structures apart. Also, as these were
made from wood, they were very weak compared to stone structures.