What is a keep in a Motte and Bailey castle?

This consisted of two main components: the motte, an artificial mound atop which was built a fortified tower called a keep, and a bailey, which was an enclosure connected to the motte. Many castles of this type also had a ditch around the bailey.



In a Motte and Bailey castle, the "keep" (also known as a donjon) is the fortified tower that serves as the refuge of last resort and the primary residence for the lord or noble. It is located on the highest point of the "motte"—a large, often man-made earthen mound. The keep was designed to be the most secure part of the fortress; if the lower courtyard (the "bailey") was breached by attackers, the defenders would retreat up a steep bridge or staircase into the keep. Early keeps were built of timber, but many were later replaced with stone as siege technology advanced. Inside, the keep typically had multiple floors: the ground floor or basement was used for storing food, water, and weapons; the middle floor housed the "Great Hall" for banquets and legal business; and the upper floors contained the private sleeping quarters for the lord’s family. Beyond its defensive utility, the keep served as a powerful political symbol, looming over the local landscape to remind the population of the ruling noble's authority and wealth.

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Since the 16th century, the English word keep has commonly referred to large towers in castles. The word originates from around 1375 to 1376, coming from the Middle English term kype, meaning basket or cask, and was a term applied to the shell keep at Guînes, said to resemble a barrel.

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This consisted of two main components: the motte, an artificial mound atop which was built a fortified tower called a keep, and a bailey, which was an enclosure connected to the motte. Many castles of this type also had a ditch around the bailey.

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The keep, located within a courtyard and surrounded by a curtain wall, was the heart of a medieval castle. The hall keep was a low building while the tower keep or donjon could have three or more floors and be topped by turrets and battlements.

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At the time of Chr tien de Troyes, the rooms where the lord of a castle, his family and his knights lived and ate and slept were in the Keep (called the Donjon), the rectangular tower inside the walls of a castle. This was meant to be the strongest and safest place.

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The stone keepwas a central feature of the castle, a stone tower built on the highest point. It was typically very tall with thick stone walls and is where the owners would have lived. Not all keeps were the same, but there would have typically been: Battlements- on the top of the keep to provide defence.

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What other rooms were there in a Medieval castle? At the time of Chr tien de Troyes, the rooms where the lord of a castle, his family and his knights lived and ate and slept were in the Keep (called the Donjon), the rectangular tower inside the walls of a castle. This was meant to be the strongest and safest place.

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A bailey is the sturdy wall around a castle that keeps invaders out. The bailey of a medieval castle was usually built of stone. You might see a bailey — or the remains of one — if you tour a castle in England or France.

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In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification.

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The new stone wall of a shell keep, either circular or polygonal, could be 3-3.5 metres (10-12 ft) thick and 4.5-9 metres (15-30 ft) high. Inside were such buildings as a hall, barracks, chapel, accommodation, and storehouses. An excellent example of a surviving shell keep is at the c. 1150 CE Cardiff Castle, Wales.

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The motte was a huge mound with a castle, or keep, built on top. It would have been easy to defend, as people would have had to climb up it slowly to reach the keep. Most mottes were surrounded by a deep ditch to stop attackers. The bailey was a large area of ground, surrounded by a tall, wooden fence.

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