Dover Castle through the Ages Castle-building project

Dover Castle through the Ages

Castle-building project! • Inter-house competition • Entries from individuals or teams within a Y 8 Form. • Castle model must fit on one classroom table. • Castle model must represent one of the historical design types.

11 th C: Motte-and-bailey castle

11 th C: Motte-and-bailey castle

Main construction features • Made from wood • Dry moat and palisades • Great house on a separate mount Defensive advantages • Could be build relatively quickly and cheaply • Slows attacker down • Gives height advantage to defenders Reasons for its replacement • Vulnerable against fire attacks • Vulnerable against siege engines, eg. trebuchets

12 th C: Tower castle (shell keep)

Main construction features • Made from stone • Shell keep contains living accommodation Defensive advantages • Entrance on upper floor makes battle rams ineffective • Turrets with battlements (crenellations) give defenders great height advantage Reasons for its replacement • Vulnerable against mining • Only one line of defence

13 th C: Concentric castle

Main construction features • Made from stone • Only purpose is defence Defensive advantages • • • Several rings of curtain walls Moat Gatehouses have multiple defenses Round towers and turrets No material is wasted on living accommodation Reasons for its replacement • Vulnerable against cannons

16 -19 th C: cannon, ramparts and bastions

16 -19 th C: cannon, ramparts and bastions

16 -19 th C: cannon, ramparts and bastions

Main construction features • Defensive ring, can protect around a small fort or even a whole city • Massive earth ramparts (=wide walls) and bastions (= outcrops from the ramparts) Defensive advantages • Ramparts protect against cannon fire • Cannon batteries and soldiers with muskets based on bastions can target storm attacks from the flank Reasons for its replacement • No protection against explosive shells, since these could be shot over the ramparts and then destroyed the inside of the fortification

20 th C: anti-aircraft protection

20 th C: anti-aircraft protection

Castle-building project • • • Build a model of a typical medieval castle (motte-and-bailey; shell keep or courtyard castle). The Model base must not be wider than the width of a classroom table Groups of up to 3 students – inform Mr Tismer of your group (students names and intended castle model) Work should take place at home R. 108 can be used a lunchtimes (check with Mr Tismer) Deadline: [before CAT 2] Reward for a successful castle model: participating students will receive full marks for Qu. 3 in CAT 2 (= 50% of grade)