The outward mark of feudalism was the castle, [10] where
the lord resided and from which he ruled his fief. In its earliest form the
castle was simply a wooden blockhouse placed on a mound and surrounded by a
stockade. About the beginning of the twelfth century the nobles began to build
in stone, which would better resist fire and the assaults of besiegers. A stone
castle consisted at first of a single tower, square or round, with thick walls,
few windows, and often with only one room to each story. [11] As engineering
skill increased, several towers were built and were then connected by outer and
inner walls. The castle thus became a group of fortifications, which might
cover a wide area.
[10] The French form of the word is chateau.
[11] A good example is the "White Tower," which
forms a part of the Tower of London. It was built by William the Conqueror.
THE CASTLE AS A FORTRESS
Defense formed the primary purpose of the castle. Until
the introduction of gunpowder and cannon, the only siege engines employed were
those known in ancient times. They included machines for hurling heavy stones
and iron bolts, battering rams, and movable towers, from which the besiegers
crossed over to the walls. Such engines could best be used on firm, level
ground. Consequently, a castle would often be erected on a high cliff or hill,
or on an island, or in the center of a swamp. A castle without such natural
defenses would be surrounded by a deep ditch (the "moat"), usually filled
with water. If the besiegers could not batter down or undermine the massive
walls, they adopted the slower method of a blockade and tried to starve the
garrison into surrendering. But ordinarily a well-built, well- provisioned
castle was impregnable. Behind its frowning battlements even a petty lord could
defy a royal army.
