Glencoe World History © 2010

Castles

Introduction
Castles in medieval Europe were not only for royalty. More often they were occupied by the nobility, who used them to control the surrounding countryside. In this activity you will read about medieval castles in England.

Destination Title: Castles

Note: Clicking on the link above will launch a new browser window.
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Directions

• Read the information on the Web site’s home page.
• Click on “The History of British Castles” and read the information.
• Go back to the home page and click on “Parts of a Castle,” “Attacking a Castle,” and “Defending a Castle.” Take notes about what you read.

Use the information you found to answer the following questions.

1			Who built England's castles?
2			What were the main reasons for building castles in medieval England?
3			Who lived in the castles and how did a person get permission to live in a castle or build one?
4			How did the nobles who were granted the right to live in castles repay the king for his generosity?
5			On a separate piece of paper, draw architectural plans for your own castle. Include the defensive features discussed on the Web site. Explain how these features helped defend the castles.