Period Construction in Texas - Castle Quest

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Period Construction in Texas

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Author	Topic: Period Construction in Texas
Brother Stephon Member	posted 04-03-2000 01:09 PM Howdy from a medievalist in Texas. We are blessed with an abundance of white limestone here in the Hill Country. You would swear that someone had cut it. So I am stacking the rock to build a 30 foot Keep. I have found that using period techniques of con- struction to be the most economical. Block and tackle,levers,inclined planes and man powered winches are available at little cost I would request references to castle con- sruction. Especially roof construction, window and doors,and stairways in small towers. Period style construction is easy on the landscape and provides a great venue for teaching basic enginneering. I will post pictures of equipment I have pictures of as I get more familiar with this page. Bye Ya'll ------------------
Helen Senior Member	posted 04-04-2000 01:11 AM I'm glad you found castlesontheweb and are willing to participate. I look forward to seeing your project!
duncan Senior Member	posted 04-06-2000 09:13 AM Greetings Stephon What period of castle building do you have in mind? In most castles the Stairs were usually of stone with socket and tendon type center ridge pole. Windows could be lintal type or face stones over an arched inner wall core. Arrow slits could be stone or cast or both. Roofs often used a wall plate with the rafters cut with what we now call a birds beak or they simply rested in a socket, both types were used for angle and flat roofs. The roofing materials varied with what was at hand for the most part. If you can help every one here on this site to understand a little better about what type of construction methods you are looking for I'm sure your request for info can be filled. ------------------ Megan and Ralph DUNCAN CASTLE
Levan Moderator	posted 04-06-2000 11:40 AM A few 'authentic' items that might add nice touches: Roof - many Scottish towers (possibly elsewhere too) are built with stone slivers or slates that diminish in size as they approach the ridge. Gun-loops - like arrow slits, extremely common on towers from the 14th Century onwards. Primary advantage in reconstruction scenarios is that the wide loop at the bottom of the slit affords rather more light to the internal areas of the castle. A gun loop can also accommodate a cat flap without loosing the overall authenticity of the property! Yett - an iron gate common on Scottish castles that serves much the same function as a portcullis. These gates, however, swing on side hinges and thus do not require special arrangements in the space above the entrance. Stairs - I agree with Duncan - castles never really feel complete without turnpike staircases (socket and tendon type with central ridge pole). Turnpike staircases invariably ascend in a clockwise direction so that a defender could more easily swing his sword (Castle Kennedy being an exception as the Kennedys were predominantly a left-handed clan). A wee rider here though, large furniture items just won't go up - we resorted to trap-doors in each of the main floor levels and the top floor was served by hauling furniture over the ramparts! External Stairs - many towers have a main entrance on the first floor (one level above ground level) reached by a wooden staircase that could be easily destroyed in case of attack. In more peaceful times these were replaced by stone staircases along the side of the tower wall or by cutting a new main entrance at ground level. Plans - it sounds as if your intended tower is similar in size to Levan. If you're needing plans for your tower, feel free to take a look at the plans of Castle Levan (14th Century) on my website: www.castlelevan.com Out of time - as I think of other things, I'll jot them down. Levan [This message has been edited by Levan (edited 04-06-2000).] [This message has been edited by Levan (edited 04-06-2000).]
conaway Member	posted 04-07-2000 06:25 PM I need books on HOW casltes are built. The construction methods. Im not interested in castle designs and history . I want a how to book on castle building. are there any out there ?
duncan Senior Member	posted 04-07-2000 08:12 PM Conaway You need to only post once in the forum that comes closest to your subject. Lets start in the far past, the major castle builders for the most part learned there trade by working with those who had already built at least one. Today, books do exist about castle building, expensive, and very hard to find.It might be easier to go through this site and reset your prefences for the past year. Here on Castle Quest someone will most likly know the answer to your problem. Some of us are building or renovating REAL castles in the present. The construction methods vary due to local regulations, the needs of ancient time worn stone and timber, and the money it takes today to put two rocks together. ------------------ Megan and Ralph DUNCAN CASTLE
Brother Stephon Member	posted 04-10-2000 08:12 PM Thank you for your excellent historical references. Castle Levan is indeed a smaller version but I am going smaller still. What I concieve is little more than a truncated cone. I have no historical perspective other than a bent for 12th century Norman. My main concern is that I maintain as true to the time period a site as possible so that I may enjoy the flavor of the era all during construction. My materials are what I harvest from the area. We have an abundunce of Juniper (we call it Cedar) that will provide rustic joist that are a good 14 foot in length and 12 inches at the small end. Much of our limestone is in the form of flagstone which I may use for flooring. Most is in foot thick slabs sometimes running in shelves 20 feet wide (between cracks). I am tooling up to move blocks of many tons but only about 100 feet distance. The site is on a hillside overlooking the Guadelupe river valley. I am cutting my teeth on masonry work by building the retaining walls to hold the overburden that is on the solid limestone slab that I am using for my foundation. I may form and pour my stair steps. I do want the spiral stairs but am cramped for space so will try not to have a centerpole. I have assurences that a person in Arizona has accomplished this (are you out there,Arizona?) I can only conjecture as to how the stairway penetrates the roof,as I hope to have a roof that is the top floor. Help me with the proper nominclature for that one. I have vaguely seen what appears to be a guard house type structure on top. And what would you do with the chimney? Thank you for your time. From one who has never been in a real castle Humbly Brother Stephon ------------------
duncan Senior Member	posted 04-11-2000 05:46 AM Hi Stephon I have built 2 free standing {no Newel} metal staircases for custormers, I'm not sure by your description how you plan to do this in stone. The turnpike stairs take up less room than standard types and can reach higher levals with less pitch to the foot. The wall walk door often opened out of one of these. I have seen a roof door that opened out of a flat roof on a tower useing normal hinges. It used a draw bar like the rest. On useing the ceder, you might put the beams closer in footage to one another due to the many knot holes that will weaken the span. You may encounter more problems with it also, depending on the drying time and the checking [cracks] that come form age. What placement of the chimney are you thinking of useing? Knowing where the fireplace will be built will help to decide if its a free standing type or built with in a wall. What does the building codes in your area call for? ------------------ Megan and Ralph DUNCAN CASTLE
Philip Davis unregistered	posted 04-11-2000 06:23 PM Can't help but think it would really be worth your while to come to europe and see a Norman castle. I'd recommend Castle Hedingham in Essex, England. However in lieu of the real thing there are some illustrations of my idea of a 'contempory' castle based on Castle Hedingham at http://www.castlesontheweb.com/members/philipdavis/author/heding-1.html and I also suggest looking at Micheal Cook's site http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/%7Emwcook/hedingham-castle.html which gives some nice pictures of the sort of architectural detail that typifies the Norman style. As for staircases these are of four types in Norman castles: Firstly wooden ladders. These, of course, don't survive but were the simplest way to get from floor to floor and where used, particularly to gain entry to the basement. Secondly straight, intramural stairs. A simple stone stair case built in the thickness of the wall, usual dark, often low. Thirdly, stone spiral stairs. these are made with arcs of stone (arcs of between 45 and 90 degrees), overlaped so that about 10 degrees of the lower stone was left exposed to form the tread and anchored into the surrounding wall.(Basically like a fanned deck of cards) The point of the arc was often extended into a small round shape so that the treads naturally formed a central newel. Lastly outer straight stairs leading up to the main entrance on the first floor. although often of wood originally these became converted to stone and were covered with a fore building in the later developement of the Norman Keep. Usually fairly large and impressive and sometimes defended by small drawbridge either at the top or at a half way point. I could certainly do with the drawbridge at times. ------------------ Neurotics build castles in the air, psychotics live in them, Psychiatrists charge the rent, art therapists do the interior design and nurses clean out the garderobes! http://www.castlesontheweb.com/members/philipdavis/index.html

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