50 Questions
What were battlements used for in a castle?
Soldiers to hide behind when they fired arrows
What material replaced the weaker wooden walls in castles?
Thick, tall, stone walls (curtain walls)
What material were the earliest castles built of?
Wood
What was the outside area inside the walls of the castle called?
Bailey
What new idea did attackers come up with to dig under square corners of towers and keeps?
Undermining
What type of machines could throw huge boulders that could break down the walls of stone castles?
Trebuchets
What type of castles began to appear as a response to undermining techniques?
Concentric castles
How did the height of walls change in concentric castles to aid defense?
Each set of walls decreased in height
Where did Europeans get the idea of concentric castles in medieval Europe?
The Crusaders fighting abroad in the Holy Land
What king was the Tower of London completed during the reign of?
William the Conqueror
What is the purpose of English Heritage, Cadw, and the National Trust in relation to castles?
Looking after and preserving them
What was the main reason for the barons' rebellion against King John in 1215?
They were unhappy with King John's frequent wars and excessive taxation.
Why was the location of Rochester Castle important in 1215?
It was a strategic location that guarded a main road to London.
What was the Magna Carta?
A set of written promises that the King would follow certain rules and laws.
What made Rochester Castle well-defended against the siege?
It was a masterpiece of medieval castle design with a strong Norman keep.
What was the relationship between King John and William the Conqueror?
King John was William the Conqueror's great-great-grandson.
What happened after King John signed the Magna Carta?
A war broke out between King John and the rebel barons.
What was the purpose of a siege in medieval warfare?
To gain control of a strategically important location or castle.
What did King John realize after a few weeks of laying siege to Rochester Castle?
The barons had enough supplies to withstand the siege for a long time
Which of the following was NOT one of the weapons or tactics used by King John to try to breach Rochester Castle?
Catapults to launch flaming projectiles
What was the name for the part of the castle that stored weapons and in which the lord's rooms were located?
Keep
What was the 'tortoise' used by the sappers?
A wooden cover to protect the sappers while digging under the walls
Why did King John's soldiers sometimes fire rotten animal corpses into the castle?
As a psychological tactic to demoralize the defenders
What was the primary purpose of the lord allowing peasants to live on his land?
To provide labor and obedience in exchange for housing
What prompted King John to abandon the siege and try other tactics?
News that reinforcements were coming to help the rebels
How did the division of land into strips help ensure fairness among the peasants?
It prevented any single peasant from taking the best or worst land
What could potentially happen to the villagers if there was a poor harvest or their animals died?
They could starve to death
Where did peasants go to practice their religion?
The church
Which job made things with metal?
Miller
Where did the peasants obtain honey, one of the few sweeteners available to them?
From beehives
What was a common way for the villagers to entertain themselves?
Having a mug of ale and singing at the pub
What was the primary purpose of the village green?
As a meeting place and for markets
What did the peasants have to pay the lord in order to do?
All of the above
What was the name for the part of the castle which functioned as a ditch surrounding the walls and sometimes was filled with water?
Moat
Which part of the castle could be lowered to let in visitors and raised to keep out enemies?
Drawbridge
What were peasants not allowed to do in the woods?
Hunting
What was one of the main crops that peasants grew and for what purpose?
Barley for brewing beer
What was the name for the whole area that a lord owned including the village and fields?
manor
Where did people grind their corn into flour in the medieval village?
Mill
What was the purpose of the tithe barn in the village?
To store produce given to the priest as a tithe
What specialist jobs were mentioned in the medieval village?
Blacksmith and carpenter
What did peasants grow oats and rye for?
To feed their animals
Where did peasants gather firewood from?
Woodland
What was the purpose of the curtain wall?
To surround and protect the castle's inner buildings
What was the purpose of the motte in a motte-and-bailey castle?
To provide a raised platform for the main castle buildings
What defensive feature allowed defending soldiers to pour boiling water or drop heavy objects onto attackers?
Murder holes
Which of the following is NOT a typical feature found in a medieval castle?
Library
Which of the following statements about early Norman castles is correct?
The main rooms were built against the thick outer walls
Which of the following statements about the construction of Windsor Castle is correct?
It was started in 1070 by William the Conqueror
Why did castles stop being used for war and instead start being used for houses for the rich?
They burned down
Explore the transition from early wooden castles built by the Normans to the development of more sophisticated and strategic castle structures after 1066. Learn about the objectives, key terms, and reasons behind the changes in castle-building practices.
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