Podcast
Questions and Answers
What were battlements used for in a castle?
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?
What material replaced the weaker wooden walls in castles?
Thick, tall, stone walls (curtain walls)
What material were the earliest castles built of?
What material were the earliest castles built of?
Wood
What was the outside area inside the walls of the castle called?
What was the outside area inside the walls of the castle called?
What new idea did attackers come up with to dig under square corners of towers and keeps?
What new idea did attackers come up with to dig under square corners of towers and keeps?
What type of machines could throw huge boulders that could break down the walls of stone castles?
What type of machines could throw huge boulders that could break down the walls of stone castles?
What type of castles began to appear as a response to undermining techniques?
What type of castles began to appear as a response to undermining techniques?
How did the height of walls change in concentric castles to aid defense?
How did the height of walls change in concentric castles to aid defense?
Where did Europeans get the idea of concentric castles in medieval Europe?
Where did Europeans get the idea of concentric castles in medieval Europe?
What king was the Tower of London completed during the reign of?
What king was the Tower of London completed during the reign of?
What is the purpose of English Heritage, Cadw, and the National Trust in relation to castles?
What is the purpose of English Heritage, Cadw, and the National Trust in relation to castles?
What was the main reason for the barons' rebellion against King John in 1215?
What was the main reason for the barons' rebellion against King John in 1215?
Why was the location of Rochester Castle important in 1215?
Why was the location of Rochester Castle important in 1215?
What was the Magna Carta?
What was the Magna Carta?
What made Rochester Castle well-defended against the siege?
What made Rochester Castle well-defended against the siege?
What was the relationship between King John and William the Conqueror?
What was the relationship between King John and William the Conqueror?
What happened after King John signed the Magna Carta?
What happened after King John signed the Magna Carta?
What was the purpose of a siege in medieval warfare?
What was the purpose of a siege in medieval warfare?
What did King John realize after a few weeks of laying siege to Rochester Castle?
What did King John realize after a few weeks of laying siege to Rochester Castle?
Which of the following was NOT one of the weapons or tactics used by King John to try to breach Rochester Castle?
Which of the following was NOT one of the weapons or tactics used by King John to try to breach Rochester Castle?
What was the name for the part of the castle that stored weapons and in which the lord's rooms were located?
What was the name for the part of the castle that stored weapons and in which the lord's rooms were located?
What was the 'tortoise' used by the sappers?
What was the 'tortoise' used by the sappers?
Why did King John's soldiers sometimes fire rotten animal corpses into the castle?
Why did King John's soldiers sometimes fire rotten animal corpses into the castle?
What was the primary purpose of the lord allowing peasants to live on his land?
What was the primary purpose of the lord allowing peasants to live on his land?
What prompted King John to abandon the siege and try other tactics?
What prompted King John to abandon the siege and try other tactics?
How did the division of land into strips help ensure fairness among the peasants?
How did the division of land into strips help ensure fairness among the peasants?
What could potentially happen to the villagers if there was a poor harvest or their animals died?
What could potentially happen to the villagers if there was a poor harvest or their animals died?
Where did peasants go to practice their religion?
Where did peasants go to practice their religion?
Which job made things with metal?
Which job made things with metal?
Where did the peasants obtain honey, one of the few sweeteners available to them?
Where did the peasants obtain honey, one of the few sweeteners available to them?
What was a common way for the villagers to entertain themselves?
What was a common way for the villagers to entertain themselves?
What was the primary purpose of the village green?
What was the primary purpose of the village green?
What did the peasants have to pay the lord in order to do?
What did the peasants have to pay the lord in order to do?
What was the name for the part of the castle which functioned as a ditch surrounding the walls and sometimes was filled with water?
What was the name for the part of the castle which functioned as a ditch surrounding the walls and sometimes was filled with water?
Which part of the castle could be lowered to let in visitors and raised to keep out enemies?
Which part of the castle could be lowered to let in visitors and raised to keep out enemies?
What were peasants not allowed to do in the woods?
What were peasants not allowed to do in the woods?
What was one of the main crops that peasants grew and for what purpose?
What was one of the main crops that peasants grew and for what purpose?
What was the name for the whole area that a lord owned including the village and fields?
What was the name for the whole area that a lord owned including the village and fields?
Where did people grind their corn into flour in the medieval village?
Where did people grind their corn into flour in the medieval village?
What was the purpose of the tithe barn in the village?
What was the purpose of the tithe barn in the village?
What specialist jobs were mentioned in the medieval village?
What specialist jobs were mentioned in the medieval village?
What did peasants grow oats and rye for?
What did peasants grow oats and rye for?
Where did peasants gather firewood from?
Where did peasants gather firewood from?
What was the purpose of the curtain wall?
What was the purpose of the curtain wall?
What was the purpose of the motte in a motte-and-bailey castle?
What was the purpose of the motte in a motte-and-bailey castle?
What defensive feature allowed defending soldiers to pour boiling water or drop heavy objects onto attackers?
What defensive feature allowed defending soldiers to pour boiling water or drop heavy objects onto attackers?
Which of the following is NOT a typical feature found in a medieval castle?
Which of the following is NOT a typical feature found in a medieval castle?
Which of the following statements about early Norman castles is correct?
Which of the following statements about early Norman castles is correct?
Which of the following statements about the construction of Windsor Castle is correct?
Which of the following statements about the construction of Windsor Castle is correct?
Why did castles stop being used for war and instead start being used for houses for the rich?
Why did castles stop being used for war and instead start being used for houses for the rich?
