Human Heritage: A World History

"Building Castles"

Introduction
Have you ever dreamed of living in a castle? When we think of kings and queens, most of us imagine a fairy-tale life of castles with drawbridges and moats. But what did it take to construct a castle? And how many people were needed? In the 1000s, when nobles began building stone castles, there were no front-end loaders, cranes, or chain saws. Hundreds of these stone structures exist in Britain. How did they do it? To learn about castle building materials and methods, go to the Castles of Britain Web site.

Destination Title: Castles of Britain

Note: Clicking on the link above will launch a new browser window.
Need help using your browser for this activity? Click here for tips.

Directions
Start at the Castles of Britain Web site.

• Scroll down and click on the "Castle Learning Center" topic.
• Browse through the site, taking notes as you go. Be sure to visit "About Castles," "Building a Castle," and "Decline of the Castle."
• Then answer the following questions.

1			Describe the characteristics of a stone castle that made it a good source of defense.
2			What problems did castle builders face in procuring building materials?
3			How did building castles promote the interests of nobles?
4			What eventually led to the decline of castle building?
5			Imagine that you, as castle architect, have been asked by William the Conqueror to design a stone castle to demonstrate his strength and position as king. On a separate sheet of paper, use what you have learned to design a building plan of a castle that reflects William's power. Use the "Ground Plans" topic in this Web site to give you ideas about the layout of your castle.