A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the
Middle Ages by nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually
consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct
from a palace, which is not fortified; from a fortress, which was not always a residence
for nobility; and from a fortified settlement, which was a public defence – though there
are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied
over time and has been applied to structures as diverse as hill forts and country
houses. Over the approximately 900 years that castles were built they took on a great
many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls and
arrowslits, were commonplace.
Many castles were originally built from earth and timber, but had their defences
replaced later by stone. Early castles often exploited natural defences, and lacked
features such as towers and arrowslits and relied on a central keep. In the late 12th
and early 13th centuries, a scientific approach to castle defence emerged. This led to
the proliferation of towers, with an emphasis on flanking fire. Many new castles were
polygonal or relied on concentric defence – several stages of defence within each other
that could all function at the same time to maximise the castle's firepower. These
changes in defence have been attributed to a mixture of castle technology from the
Crusades, such as concentric fortification, and inspiration from earlier defences such
as Roman forts. Not all the elements of castle architecture were military in nature, and
devices such as moats evolved from their original purpose of defence into symbols of
power. Some grand castles had long winding approaches intended to impress and dominate
their landscape.
Castles served a range of purposes, the most important of which were military,
administrative, and domestic. As well as defensive structures, castles were also
offensive tools which could be used as a base of operations in enemy territory. Castles
were established by Norman invaders of England for both defensive purposes and to pacify
the country's inhabitants. As William the Conqueror advanced through England he
fortified key positions to secure the land he had taken. Between 1066 and 1087 he
established 36 castles such as Warwick Castle, which he used to guard against rebellion
in the English Midlands.
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