In the autumn of 1066, William the Conqueror landed on the shores of England with a formidable army and a clear goal: to seize the English throne by force. Key to William‘s strategy for conquering and ruling England was a revolutionary type of fortification that would dominate the landscape for centuries to come—the motte and bailey castle.
Origins and Design
Motte and bailey castles originated in northern France during the 10th century and quickly spread across Europe as an effective means of defense and control. As the name suggests, these castles consisted of two main parts:
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The motte – a large, artificial mound of earth, usually between 30-100 feet (10-30 meters) tall and 60-100 feet (20-30 meters) in diameter at the base. Atop the motte stood the main tower or keep, initially built of wood.
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The bailey – a larger, flatter enclosed courtyard at the base of the motte, typically surrounded by a deep ditch and wooden palisade. The bailey provided space for barracks, stables, workshops, a chapel, and other outbuildings. It was connected to the motte by a flying bridge or stairs.
Motte and bailey castles were designed for rapid construction using local, readily-available materials. The motte was built by piling up earth, sometimes revetted with timber or stone for stability. Soil was dug from the surrounding ditch to form the mound. Forced labor from the local Anglo-Saxon population was used to build the castles quickly.
As historian Robert Higham notes in Norman Castles, "A medium-sized motte of 10 metres height would have required 12,500 man-days to construct, a task that could have been accomplished by 350 men in about 5 weeks."
The Bayeux Tapestry depicts Normans building a motte and bailey, possibly intended to represent Hastings Castle. (Wikimedia Commons)
A Symbol of Norman Rule
Between 1066 and 1087, William and his barons built an estimated 500 to 600 motte and bailey castles across England. These imposing structures served several key purposes:
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Military defense – With their elevated keeps, ditches, and palisades, motte and bailey castles provided a strong defensive position against Anglo-Saxon rebellion or foreign invasion. As the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle relates, "The king rode to Nottingham and built a castle there and also at York two castles, and in Lincoln and everywhere in that district."
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Conquest and control – Motte and bailey castles allowed the Normans to quickly secure and hold strategic locations like towns, river crossings, and ports. William could station his garrisons across the land to project power and collect taxes. The Chronicle of Battle Abbey recounts how castles were used to quell revolts, stating the king "fortified the strongholds throughout the whole country with many castles and kept the defeated and fearful populace in check."
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Feudalism – The castles became centers of local Norman administration and enabled them to dominate the surrounding area politically and economically. Castles were granted to loyal Norman lords who could use them as bases to control their new fiefdoms.
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Symbolism and intimidation – The castles, towering over towns and countryside, served as highly visible, constant reminders of Norman power. Their psychological impact on the defeated Anglo-Saxons cannot be overstated. As historian Richard Huscroft writes, "Castles were an alien element in the landscape that bluntly proclaimed the arrival of the new order. They were the Normans‘ way of imprinting their control permanently upon the fabric of the land…"
Famous Examples
Many of William‘s original motte and bailey castles still survive in some form today, offering a tangible connection to the Norman Conquest. Notable examples include:
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Hastings Castle – Built atop a cliff near William‘s landing site in 1066, it was one of the first Norman castles in England. Its motte, though eroded by time and the sea, still stands.
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Windsor Castle – Originally a wooden motte and bailey structure built in 1070, it was rebuilt in stone over subsequent centuries to become the world‘s oldest and largest occupied castle.
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Lincoln Castle – An imposing stone keep crowns the motte here, now adjoined by a later curtain wall and towers. A copy of Magna Carta is housed in the castle.
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Old Sarum – Now an abandoned ruin, Old Sarum was the location of a motte and bailey castle built shortly after 1066. Its remains include impressive earthworks forming the motte and outer bailey.
Windsor Castle began as a motte and bailey fortification in 1070 before being rebuilt in stone. (Wikimedia Commons)
Legacy and Impact
While revolutionary in their speed of construction and effectiveness, most motte and bailey castles were ultimately temporary wooden structures. Many decayed, collapsed, or burnt down within a century or two.
Stone castles, introduced in the late 11th century, gradually replaced timber and earthwork fortifications. Some motte and baileys were rebuilt in stone, with shell keeps or tower keeps replacing wooden ones. By 1216, a popular rhyme mocked the old wooden castles: "Weak and made of earth and blinded wood, of palisade enclosures swiftly formed."
Nevertheless, motte and bailey castles had an enormous impact on medieval England and left a lasting mark on the landscape, language, and culture:
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Landscape – Over 600 motte and bailey castles once dotted England, with around 100 mottes still identifiable today. Mysterious grassy mounds in towns and villages across the country are often the remains of these fortifications.
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Language – Many English place names owe their origins to Norman motte and bailey castles. Towns with names incorporating "-bury," "-mont," or "-castle" endings usually grew up around such fortifications.
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Warfare – Motte and bailey castles revolutionized warfare in England and played a crucial role in the Norman Conquest. No English castle pre-dates 1066. They secured William‘s victory and enabled further Norman expansion into Wales, Scotland, and Ireland in the following century.
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Administration – Castles became centers of governance for England‘s new ruling elite. Counties were often named for the site of their principal castle. Sheriffs administered the king‘s justice and tax collection from the county‘s main castle.
Over 950 years after they first appeared on English shores in 1066, the impact of motte and bailey castles can still be felt. English Heritage historian John Goodall sums it up: "The motte-and-bailey castle was a simple yet sophisticated design that enabled the Normans to consolidate their rule over England. Their decisive role in history have made them iconic."
Although the wooden towers have vanished and ditches have filled in, these castles still whisper to us of a transformative time when England‘s future was forever changed at the point of the Norman sword. The motte and bailey was the physical manifestation of that change—an enduring symbol of conquest carved into the earth itself.
