The first keeps were rectangular in shape but later ones were often circular. The kitchens were situated on the ground floor while living quarters were on the upper floors. Entrance to the keep was by stone steps leading to the first floor. A stone keep was the central feature, with thick walls and few windows. This type of medieval castle soon replaced the Motte and Bailey castles as it offered a better form of defence. A drawbridge was used for access to the castle. To give added protection to the castle, both the Motte and Bailey would be surrounded by a ditch, sometimes filled with water. A large castle might have more than one Bailey. The Bailey was separated from the Motte by a wooden bridge that could be removed if the Bailey was occupied by enemies. The Bailey was the part of the castle where people lived and animals were kept. The outer edge was then surrounded with a large wooden fence called a palisade. The Motte was a large hill made of earth on which was built a wooden keep or lookout. As their name suggests they had two parts the Motte and the Bailey. Motte and Bailiey castles were the earliest form of medieval castles built completely from scratch by the Normans. Pevensey castle in East Sussex is an example of a Norman Castle built inside an existing Roman Fort. The earliest medieval castles built by the Normans were either constructed within an existing Roman Fort or were Motte and Bailey castles. These were soon replaced by Stone Keep castles as they offered better protection from attack. Concentric castles developed during the 12th and 13th Centuries and were virtually impossible to conquer. This map shows the number of Norman castles built during the reign of William the Conqueror (1066-1087) Although castles had been built in England since the time of the Romans, they had never been built with such speed or across such a wide area. After their successful invasion and conquest of England, the Normans began a period of castle building that was to last right through the medieval period.

Map of a feudal kingdoms