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Castles:
Since the power and security of a lord depended
upon his ability to defend himself, fief owners began to build sturdy
castles. Castles were designed to withstand a siege and to mount a
defense.
At first castles were made of wood. But they were
too easy to burn down. By 1100 CE, castles were built of stone. Thick
walls surrounded a castle. Inside these thick walls, there were many
buildings.
At the first sign of trouble, the commoners
rushed to get inside the castle walls before the gates closed and shut
them out.
Location:
Castles were usually built on top of a hill, if one was handy. That
way, the lookout guards could more easily spot attackers approaching.
The
Moat: A moat was built around many of the castles. This was
a deep ditch surrounding the castle walls, filled with water. A bridge
was built to cross the moat. The bridge was raised during an attack.
The moat was loaded with traps and sharp spikes in case someone tried
to swim across.
The
Drawbridge: The drawbridge was the bridge built across the
moat. This bridge could be raised and lowered for added protection
from intruders.
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