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Castles were first constructed
in England by William the Conqueror after he invaded England
in 1066. Edward I built many large castles, including Harlech in
Wales, during his reign from 1272-1307. There were many small
castles built in Scotland and Ireland, including Scottish tower
houses in the 1300s. A tower house was almost exactly like a
Norman keep. About 2,000 castles were constructed in the British
Isles.
Castles, Part 3
Castles in Different Nations
Castles were first constructed
in England by William the Conqueror after he invaded England
in 1066. Edward I built many large castles, including Harlech in
Wales, during his reign from 1272-1307. There were many small
castles built in Scotland and Ireland, including Scottish tower
houses in the 1300s. A tower house was almost exactly like a
Norman keep. About 2,000 castles were constructed in the British
Isles.
Raby Castle
Castle building in Europe probably began in France, and there were many large castles built there, especially in the Loire region. There were about 10,000 castles in all constructed in France.
German castles usually had slender towers called Bergfrieds and castles were often built on hills. Over 10,000 castles were built in Germany.
Burg Eltz
In the Middle East both the Muslims and the Byzantines built large castles and they served as inspiration for some of the later European castles. The crusaders took over Muslim castles in the Middle East, and also built over 40 of their own, including the famous Krak des Chevaliers.
The decline of Castles
Castles fell in popularity during the 1400s and early 1500s. There were many reasons for this. Cannons could now easily blast down castle walls. The decline of feudalism meant that lords no longer needed castles for protection. And the rise of towns made them, not castles, the major targets in wars.Text by Cherub TNK