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CLITHEROWBR Member |
posted 07-16-2000 04:47 AM
  
I AM DOING A SCHOOL PROJECT ON BRITISH CASTLES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT CASTLES WERE BUILT A CERTAIN DISTANCE APART. IS THIS TRUE? IF SO WHAT DISTANCE AND WHY? EG DAYS RIDE OR DAYS MARCH ?ETC I NEED HELP QUICKLY!!! |
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Philip Davis unregistered |
posted 07-18-2000 04:43 AM
Basically it isn't true. Castles where built either where they were needed or where the lord owned land. Most of the early Royal castles were built in the large towns for political reason to dominate the populous and to establish Royal rule. For reasons to do with economics these towns tend to be about a days ride apart with smaller market towns a half days walk apart. Some, but by no means all, of these smaller market towns had private castles in them. Ascott under Wychwood is a large village that was spilt into two manors held by seperate lords who both built castles so that this village had two castles in it. In border areas where raids took place frequently most manor houses where fortified into castles and these castles where built in more defensible positions so the density of castles on the welsh border is quite high. Some castles are built on very defensible hills away from towns but these are relatively uncommon. Some other castles are really fortified hunting lodges where a king or lord could entertain guests in style whilst enjoying the local hunting. These castles are positioned where the hunting was. In the North of England the frequent wars and ungoing raids with Scotland led to even fairly minor landowners fortifying their houses, so farms where built with strong walls with the farm house built directly on top of the animal byre to form a Bastle house and many border towns have several Pele towers in them built by the more wealth inhabitants (several were built by vicars). Since neither of these are strictly residences of lords they are are not true castles although at least one bastle and many pele towers are larger than some true castles. The density of these buildings is very high and bastle houses were often deliberately built in groups to increase their defensive strength. Castles in England and Wales are, therefore, more common and closer together in the border areas of Northern England, the Welsh border and South Wales (where the English invades early are had a fairly long struggle with the local welsh princes). Otherwise the castles are concentrated into the large towns with occassional castles in or near smaller towns or good hunting areas. ------------------ |
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Merlin Senior Member |
posted 07-19-2000 06:34 AM
There are some special cases, when castles are a days ride apart from each other. These are the old royal (and mostly ancient roman) roads across the Alps. The pattern goes back to the Merovingian (5th to 8th century) Carolingian (8th to 10th century) and Rudolfingian (9th to 11th century) kings. To keep control over these roads and the nearby royal domains, and also to have food and places to stay on the long way to Italy (or back), the kings had to build special structures (variing from unfortified royal houses to impressive palaces, but only seldom castles). After 850 AD also royal abbeys or the residences of bishops could be used for that. You can find a pattern of such places along the main routes from France and Germany to Italy. The keep control over them, the kings tended to give these places to loyal local families and in the 11th and 12th century allowed them to build fortifications. In the 13th century, during the biggest crisis of the german empire, the royal power wasn't strong enough to keep the rights over most of these places. The local families acclaimed them as their own properties and often began to build strong castles to make that clear. Merlin. |
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