What are the two purposes of a castle?

Castles were common in Europe during the Middle Ages and were often the homes of royal families or other powerful people. The main purpose of castles was to protect the people who lived there from invasions. They were also a status symbol to show other people how important a family was.



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One of the most important features in a castle was its walls. Whether made of wood, stone or brick, they provided a barrier to enemy attackers. They typically included wall walks, which were used by the defenders to resist attempts to scale the walls or to shoot missiles at the besiegers.

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Castles were not just bases, they were part of the feudal system created to control or suppress the English. The local lord and his knights living in the castle could control the rebellious English through physical force but castles were also symbolic of Norman power and so could psychologically control the locals.

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Castles are usually built on high ground with clear views of the surrounding lands – and both of these things make them difficult to attack. Prudhoe was built on a hill top ridge with an 18m drop on the north side and a deep ravine on the south side.

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The three main types of castles are the motte and bailey castle, the stone keep castle, and the concentric castle.

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A castle is fundamentally two things, a residence for a laird, and a place that offers significant protection. If it's only one or the other, that's problematic. A grand building with no defensive features would be a palace, chateau or country house.

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The word 'castle' derives from the old English word 'castel', which meant village. Villages were often fortified, but in peaceful times the villages expanded, leaving only the central part fortified.

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Castle walls could be plastered and whitewashed to protect the walls and mortar.

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THE SOLDIERS They'd be commanded by the constable or castellan, who stood in for the owner and lived in his own rooms (there's a Constable's Gate at Dover Castle). The soldiers slept in a dormitory.

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