Medieval Castles Of England And Wales

Designed to dominate the surrounding area, to house powerful garrisons, offer sumptuous quarters for local nobility, and to discourage and repel enemy attacks, castles dominated England and Wales for more than half a millennium. Though some were built before 1066, the Norman Conquest left a lasting legacy in the form of fortifications ranging from small earthworks now barely discernible, to mighty and dominating stone fortresses. This book examines why castles were so essential to medieval warfare, their importance in domestic politics, and the day-to-day lives of those who lived and worked within them. It also shows how the development of new technologies affected their construction and design, and why they eventually fell into disrepair in the late Middle Ages. Beautifully illustrated with stunning photographs, this is the perfect guide for any castle enthusiast seeking to discover more about medieval fortifications and their inhabitants.

This original and pioneering book examines the role of the castle in the Norman conquest of England and in the subsequent administration of the country. The castle is seen primarily as an instrument of peaceful administration which rarely had a garrison and was more often where the sheriff kept his files and employed his secretariat. In most cases the military significance of the castle was minimal, and only a very few ever saw military action. For the first time, the medieval castle in England is seen in a new light which will attract the general reader of history and archaeology as much as the specialist in economic and social history.

This book provides the visitor to the castles of Wales with a history and description of the main castles open to the public. There is an easy-to-understand outline of how castles developed, as well as features that give more detail of the different parts of a castle, such as keeps and gatehouses.

A new way of looking at the medieval castle - as a cultural reflection of the society that produced it, seen through art and literature.

This original and pioneering book examines the role of the castle in the Norman conquest of England and in the subsequent administration of the country. The castle is seen as primarily an instrument of peaceful administration which rarely had a garrison and was more often where the sheriff or steward kept his files and employed his secretariat. There have been many studies of the medieval castle. All have stressed the architectural development of the castle, but almost none have even mentioned the role of the castle in the social and economic history of England. This book deals exclusively with these aspects of the castle's history, in particular with the attempts of the crown to control and limit castle building and with the role of the castle in the administration of the country. In most cases the military significance of the castles was minimal, and only a very few ever saw military action or indeed maintained a garrison. For the first time, the medieval castle in England is seen in a new light that will attract the general reader of history and archaeology as much as the specialist in economic and social history. N.J.G. Pounds is the author of

Originally published in 1988, The Castles in England and Wales is a comprehensive treatment of the archaeology of the castles in England and Wales. The books looks at how following the Norman Conquest, one of the most characteristic structures of the English landscape, the castle, was used to control and survey the population. In its simplest definition a castle is a fortified habitation, however this book looks at the many uses of castles, from their most primitive kind, intended only for periodic use, or as magnificent decoration, such as Caernarvon and other Welsh castles of Edward I. It is essential reading for all archaeologists and historians alike.

First multi-disciplinary study of the cultural and social milieu of the post-medieval castle. The castle was an imposing architectural landmark in late medieval and early modern England and Wales. Castles were much more than lordly residences: they were accommodation to guests and servants, spaces of interaction between the powerful and the powerless, and part of larger networks of tenants, parks, and other properties. These structures were political, symbolic, residential, and military, and shaped the ways in which people consumed the landscape and interacted with the local communities around them. This volume offers the first interdisciplinary study of the socio-cultural understanding of the castle in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, a period duringwhich the castle has largely been seen as in decline. Bringing together a wide range of source material - from architectural remains and archaeological finds to household records and political papers - it investigates the personnel of the castle; the use of space for politics and hospitality; the landscape; ideas of privacy; and the creation of a visual legacy. By focusing on such an iconic structure, the book allows us to see some of the ways in which men and women were negotiating the space around them on a daily basis; and just as importantly, it reveals the impact that the local communities had on the spaces of the castle. AUDREY M. THORSTAD teaches in the Department of History, University of North Texas.