Establishing control: motte-and-bailey castles
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe Norman motte-and-bailey castles and explain the reasons for their construction in England.
Key learning points
- Castles were a military innovation that was almost unknown in Anglo-Saxon England.
- Castles had a military function, acting as bases for troops who would control and oppress key areas.
- Castles also had a psychological impact of terrifying and dominating the local population.
- Castles were centres of Norman control, acting as bases for Norman nobles to administer an area.
- Most Norman castles were variations of the motte-and-bailey design.
Keywords
Motte-and-bailey - a motte-and-bailey castle is a fortress in which there is a motte (small hill) surrounded by a bailey (courtyard) inside an outer wall
Burh - a burh was a fortified Anglo-Saxon town
Oppress - to oppress is to govern people in an unfair and cruel way and prevent them from having opportunities and freedom
Keep - a keep is the strong main tower of a castle which acted as a watchtower and a final point of defence
Palisade - a palisade is a strong fence made out of solid wooden poles that is used to protect people or a place from being attacked
Common misconception
A common misconception is that castles only had a military function.
Norman castles also acted as administrative centres. They had a psychological function in dominating the landscape and the people who lived there and some castles also helped trade develop.
Teacher tip
Design or build a motte-and-bailey castle: using recyclable materials, have students construct a model or draw a diagram of a motte and bailey castle. This will help them understand the structure and defensive features of castles and why they were used.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes when you pay money and declare loyalty/submission to your ruler, especially on a formal occasion?
Q2.Which important lands did William give to his half-brother, the Bishop of Bayeux?
Q3.Who did William take back to Normandy with him as hostages in 1067?
Q4.Put the following events in chronological order.
Q5.Why did William only appoint his most trustworthy followers to be Marcher earls?
Q6.What word describes a person who rules a country for a limited period, because the monarch is absent or too young or too ill?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Most Norman castles were variations in what type of castle design?
Q2.How did Norman castles have a psychological impact on the Anglo-Saxons?
Q3.How many castles are estimated to have been built by the Normans within 20 years?
Q4.Match keywords to their correct definitions.
a fortified Anglo-Saxon town
to govern people in a cruel way and prevent them from having freedoms
the strong main tower of a castle which acted as a watchtower
a strong fence made out of solid wooden poles that is used for defence
Q5.Castles were almost to Anglo-Saxon England, who had previously relied on burhs for protection.
Q6.What material were many castles later rebuilt using?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Establishing control: motte-and-bailey castles, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Establishing control: motte-and-bailey castles, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the British Depth Study: Norman England, c1066–c1100 unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.