What is classified as a castle?

And now the Oxford English Dictionary defines a castle as 'a large building, typically of the medieval period, fortified against attack with thick walls, battlements, towers, and often a moat'. So here's our first answer: a castle can be defined as being architecturally prepared for battle.



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And now the Oxford English Dictionary defines a castle as 'a large building, typically of the medieval period, fortified against attack with thick walls, battlements, towers, and often a moat'. So here's our first answer: a castle can be defined as being architecturally prepared for battle.

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However, it's universally accepted that a real castle had to fulfil two major functions: it had to be a splendid home for the lord or the king, and it had to have defences to withstand an attack and protect a garrison in times of war.

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The word is also sometimes used to describe a lavishly ornate building used for public entertainment or exhibitions such as a movie palace. A palace is normally distinguished from a castle in that the latter clearly is fortified or has the style of a fortification, whereas a palace does not.

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The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork (Polish: Zamek w Malborku; German: Ordensburg Marienburg) is a 13th-century Teutonic castle and fortress located in the town of Malbork, Poland. It is the largest castle in the world measured by land area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Medieval Castle: Motte and Bailey Castles Motte and Bailiey castles were the earliest form of medieval castles built completely from scratch by the Normans. As their name suggests they had two parts the Motte and the Bailey. The Motte was a large hill made of earth on which was built a wooden keep or lookout.

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There are said to be over 4000 castles in England. These huge monuments stand as a reminder of England's tumultuous past. Nowadays castles are great places to visit to learn more about what life was like in the past as well as how people were able to build such impressive buildings.

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At the beginning of the Conquest the most common form of castle is the timber or stone motte and bailey castle, such as the one shown in the Bayeux Tapestry of Hastings, which was constructed as early as the first day of the conquest.

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Hermit's Castle is the smallest castle in Europe. In fact it may be the smallest castle in the world. Measuring less than 10m squared in area, the castle was built in the 1950s.

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There are more than 30,000 castles and ruins left in Ireland today, most dating from the 12th to 16th centuries. Visiting a few (or many) of them will allow you to learn about Irish history right from the source.

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Last September, Queen Elizabeth II took her last breath at her beloved Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands with her son King Charles III, grandson Prince William, and other family members by her side.

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