Life at a Castle

Royal Life

Picture
King Richard III & Anne Neville of England
  • Castles were owned by the important, wealthy powerful people of the land, knights, nobles and Kings.
  • Castles designs were easy to defend and difficult to attack.Castle owners were protected from invaders and rivals. They were also used to protect the local citizens who fed the castle and fled to the castle in times of war.
  • Castles were status symbols during war and peace.  They were often the seat of local justice and power.
  • Early castles were often built of earth and wood on higher ground during the 9th and 10th century. 
  • Later castles from the 11th century on were built of rocks and stones, still on high ground and often surrounded by a moat or deep lake.
  • The massive walls of the stone castle were between 15 to 20 feet thick which kept the castles cool and took a long time to warm in the winter.