MASARYK UNIVERSITY Faculty of Education Department of English Language and Literature Britain's Castles and Their Unique Role in the Middle Ages Bachelor Thesis Brno 2016 Supervisor: Author: Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D. Dagmar Janíková Declaration I declare that I worked on this thesis on my own and that all information gathered for its compilation are from the sources which are cited in the references. Brno, March 15, 2016 Dagmar Janíková Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D. for his helpful advice and valuable comments. I am very grateful for his useful guidance. Annotation The bachelor thesis deals with the history of British castles in the Middle Ages. The research concerns with the role of castles, their construction, important historical events and key persons. The chapters are divided according to the main roles and events in the chronological order. The first chapter analyses the purpose of the initial castles. The second chapter analyses castles in wars, but also as residences in peace. In the final part of the thesis a detailed look is taken at the strategy of taking control over the Welsh and Scottish people by means of the castles. It also examines Robert Bruce's policy of destroying the castles in Scotland. The thesis focuses on the importance of building castles and analyses why they are an integral part of British history. The books by Christopher Gravett and Norman J.G. Pounds are used as the main sources of the historical facts. Key words: Motte-and-bailey Castles, the Normans, William the Conqueror, Castles, Edward I, Siege Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….. 6 1. Norman Castles……………………………………………………………………….. ….. 8 1.1 Motte-and-bailey Castles……………………………………………………………... ….. 9 1.2 Stone Castles…………………………………………….………………………………. 10 1.2.1 Construction of Stone Castles…………………………………………………………. 11 1.3 Royal Control of Castle-building………………………………………………………... 12 2. Early Plantagenet Fortifications 1154–1272…………………………………………… 14 2.1 The Development of a Castle……………………………………………………………. 16 2.2 Castles in War…………………………………………………………………………… 19 2.3 Castles in Peace………………………………………………………………………….. 22 2.4 Castles as Prisons………………………………………………………………………... 25 2.5 The Community of a Castle……………………………………………………………... 26 3. The Castles of Edward I………………………………………………………………… 28 3.1 The Conquest of Wales………………………………………………………………….. 29 3.2 The Conquest of Scotland……………………………………………………………….. 38 4. The Destruction of castles……………………………………………………………….. 41 4.1 The onset of Robert Bruce’s new policy………………………………………………… 41 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………... 43 References…………………………………………………………………………………... 45 Appendices………………………………………………………………………………….. 48 Introduction The medieval castles have become one of the most ultimate symbols of the Anglo- Norman world. But what were the castles? A castle is considered to be a fortress, building or a set of buildings the purpose of which was to defend against enemies. It is a usual idea of most people, but were castles built just for fighting or self-defence? From the 11th to the 14th century, the British landscape experienced its heyday of castle-building. Several thousand castles were built, but not necessarily as fortresses. A small minority of British castles ever experienced any fighting. Most castles were also stately homes which provided space for lots of people. It was a unique combination of the military and residential function what made a castle different from other types of fortifications. The residential role of the castle was as important as the military function. Nevertheless, castles were much more than defensive strongholds and grand residences for lords. Rather than judging from an exterior surface of the castle, one must think of the background in which they were built, who built them, when they were built and what was happening in Britain at that time. Castles were a reflection of the needs, expectations and peculiarity of the men who built and lived in them. The aim of this thesis is to compare the role of castles throughout the Middle Ages. It describes significant historical events and also the people who used the castles as their home, fortress, centre of administration or as an instrument of invasion. The thesis also analyses how the architectural features reflect a function of a castle. The first chapter provides a brief description of Norman people and William I. It deals with the pre-conquest castles, motte-and-bailey castles and analyses why William I started building them. It depicts what the early medieval castle looked like, its origin and what function it had. The chapter also describes the establishment of the feudal system in England. The part of the chapter fully explores the design and development of the Norman castle. It explains key features, materials and organization embraced in the first stone castles. The second chapter examines the development in the castle architecture during the reign of Plantagenet kings. It starts with the brief introduction of kings and their asset to the castle building. The chapter analyses military features of a castle and what function the castle had in the wartime. It illustrates how the castle began to adopt the classical form and examines castles as a centre for communities and the base for lords. It is also concerned with the residential function of the castle. The part of the chapter also deals with the development of prison in the castles. The most famous castles, including Tower of London, Rochester Castle, and Dover Castle are analysed. The last part of the chapter provides a description of the 6 people who worked, lived or struggled in castles and a connection between a castle and its surroundings. As Edward I was the greatest castle-building king, the whole of the third chapter is devoted to his life and his main castles and their function. This part of the thesis analysis Edward's influence on building castles in Wales. The chapter also focuses on his great cooperation with Master James of St George and their magnificent castles, including Harlech, Beaumaris and Caernarfon. The other part examines Edward’s attempt to conquer Scotland and it depicts sieges of Caerlaverock Castle, Stirling Castle and Kildrummy Castle. The chapter ends with the death of Edward I and the reign of his son Edward II. The final part of the thesis accounts for destruction of the castles during Robert the Bruce's reign. The chapter provides an explanation for the reason why Bruce did not use castles which he had captured for occupation. The chapter clarifies the reasons why the castles suffered a decline in their military importance. 7 1. Norman Castles Who were the Medieval Normans? The similarities between the Normans and their Viking predecessors were obvious. They succeeded in battles due to their careful planning, speed of movement and decisiveness. They had good business sense and yet the Normans soon adopted Carolingian feudalism, cavalry warfare and Christianity that set them apart from the Vikings. (Gravett & Nicolle 2006, p. 8) The Normans established a power base in northern France that became the Duchy of Normandy. One of the most powerful dukes, who also later became the first Norman king of England, was William I. He was the illegitimate son of Duke of Normandy, Robert the Magnificent. William succeeded his father in 1035 when he was a little boy. He witnessed one siege after another. William participated in destroying the enemies’ castles and building new ones. His ongoing struggle for survival reinforced his resolution and William soon became respected and feared not just in Normandy. (Morris, 2003, pp. 21-22) Later on, he got married to Matilda, who had descent from the Anglo-Saxon House of Wessex. In addition, William was also second cousin of the childless Edward the Confessor. (Lepage, 2012, p. 118) When King Edward the Confessor died in 1066, Harold II. Godwinson seized the moment and succeeded to the throne. However, Duke William swore that he had been named as an heir to the English throne during Edward's previous exile in Normandy. During the summer in 1066 Harold won a victory against the Norwegians, but he did not enjoy it for a long time. (Morris, 2003, pp. 23-24) Messengers arrived from the south and brought the news that William the Normandy had landed with the army of not more than five thousand warriors near the Roman fort of Anderida. The first William’s act was to rebuild the fort into a castle. Then he moved along the coast to Hastings where he compelled Saxon labourers to build another castle, vividly illustrated in the Bayeux Tapestry (Figure 1). There he awaited the arrival of King Harold and his army. Harold was a capable leader, but he made several tactic mistakes in the Battle of Hastings and they cost him the battle and his life. Having achieved the victory over Harold, William was unwilling to advance into the interior of an unknown country. He moved along the coast to Dover. There was another Roman fort which offered William a strong base. He built there a castle from which he could advance and withdraw if necessary. William met Anglo-Saxon leaders on the way to London and they submitted and swore allegiance to him. On Christmas Day in 1066 the Duke of Normandy was crowned King of England in the Confessor's own abbey church of Westminster. (Pounds, 1994, p. 3) However, to occupy the 8 largest city did not mean to control the country. The people from the west and north refused to submit to the new king. In addition, King William was also Duke of Normandy hence he had to spend a great deal of time there. Pounds (1994) states that William's solution was to grant land to a class of men with a vested interest in the Norman settlement and simultaneously introduced a castle as a fortified home and military base. (p. 5) Norman castles played a central role in the implementation of feudalism.