These wooden Motte and Bailey castles were fast to erect and afforded a power base and shelter for his men-at-arms and livestock. Up to this point there were very few English castles.
History of English Castles
The Bronze Age had seen the erection of Hillforts and Alfred the Great had adopted a strategy of building Burhs - fortified towns. A few English Motte and Bailey castles had been constructed by Normans who had been invited to England by King Edward the Confessor. The temporary wooden Motte and Bailey castles were quickly replaced by the permanent stone Norman castles which were dominated by their tower Keeps. The advantages of English castles were quickly perceived by the Medieval Plantagenet Kings and the concept of concentric castles were soon to dominate the English landscape. King Edward I continued the castle building initiated by his father Henry III and, with his chief architect and builder Master James of St George, built massive Concentric Castles in England, Scotland and Wales. The strongly fortified concentric castles built a series of defences around the central keep. The history of English castles moved on again when the interiors of English castles became more luxurious. English politics changed and the King was not dependent on his nobles for support. Privately owned English castles which were built as power bases and strongholds came out of favour and English castles were built primarily as magnificent, or palatial, residences of the wealthy. The massive English castles developed into highly luxurious palaces. The comprehensive history of English castles can be accessed via the Castles Timeline and Sitemap at the top of the page.
The Most Famous of English Castles - The Tower of London!
The most famous of all English castles is the Tower of London. This is the oldest of English castles and its cruel bloody history dates back almost one thousand years! Its history during the early renaissance covers this famous English castle when it was used, in the fourteenth century, as a prison to some of the most famous people in English history.
Other Famous English Castles
There are many other famous Medieval Castles in Great Britain - the most famous English castles are
List of English Castles
The following list of English castles is not exhaustive but indicates the vast range of Medieval and Renaissance castles that can be found in England.