TOP 5 ACTIVITIES

AT THE DESIGNING DEAL CASTLE

ACTIVITY 1

Recommended For Summary KS2 & KS3 Before your visit, show students some photos of Deal Castle, which (History, Maths, Design you can find on our website. Ask them to think of some words to and Technology) describe the shape, size and appearance of the castle. Deal Castle’s design was very different from traditional medieval Learning Objectives castles, which generally had high outer walls to protect the people • Investigate the design, and buildings inside. However, these walls were found to be too weak shapes and patterns at to resist gunfire after the development of heavy guns (cannon) in the Deal Castle. mid 1300s. Military engineers were therefore forced to design a new type of fort that had very thick, squat walls, making them less of a • Explore some details of target and able to withstand gunfire. Deal Castle’s defensive structure. During your visit, take students inside the keep and find the interactive model in the ‘Building the Castle’ area. Ask students to carefully piece the model together, paying close attention to the patterns and shapes used to build the castle. You could ask them some of these questions: 1.Which bit is the central circular tower known as the ‘keep’? 2. How many semi-circular bastions are arranged around the keep? 3. How did the shape and height of Deal Castle help to defend it? An aerial view of Deal Castle showing 12 bastions arranged 4. The castle could mount about 45 heavy guns over four around the central tower. tiers–where would you put the guns to ensure all-round, top-to-bottom, defence? Once they have finished building, please ask students to carefully take the model apart and put the pieces back in the box, for others to enjoy.

DEAL CASTLE www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/deal-castle/schools 1 OF 8 AT THE DESIGNING DEAL CASTLE

ACTIVITY 1 continued

Back in the classroom, students could design their own Tudor castle, using Deal as inspiration. They should try to include the following features in their design: DEAL CASTLE First floor Keep • A central circularGround tower floor Shot • Semi-circular bastions arranged symmetricallyfurnace around the central tower • A gatehouse in one of the outer bastionsToilets Roof of gatehouse Inner Outer • Thick, squat walls, making thebastions castle less of a target bastions

Latrine A cannon on the outer bastion at Deal Castle. Inner bastion MORE LEARNING IDEAS roofs Compare Deal Castle with some of the other Tudor artillery Causeway Gatehouse Remains of the forts Henry VIII built along the southChapel coast, includingPump Walmer,Captain’s Ho use Porter’s lodge Calshot,(now shop)Pendennis and St Mawes. You can find photos of these Basement on the English Heritage website.

Courtyard

DEAL CASTLEMoat First floor Keep Ground floor Shot furnace

The Rounds Toilets

Roof of gatehouse Inner Outer bastions bastions

Latrine

Inner bastion roofs In ll Causeway Gatehouse Remains of the Chapel Pump Captain’s House

Porter’s lodge (now shop) Basement

Courtyard

Moat Powder magazine The Rounds Pump Causeway in ll

Prison In ll cell Well wall (1726)

Powder magazine Pump Causeway in ll

Prison 1539–40 cell Well wall (1726) Before 1700 Before 1730 1730–32

1539–140738 Before 1700 BeforeBefore 1730 1800 1730–3After2 1800 Sally port 1738 The Rounds Before1 1950s800 After 1800 Sally port No visitor access The Rounds 1950s No visitorVent access in vault Vent in vault PalePale shades shades indicate lowindicate walls low walls

0 25 metres 00 100 feet 25 metres

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www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/deal-castle/schools 2 OF 8