Castles of Britain and Ireland

Aspects of castles and castle life

This reference book brings to life every aspect of castles and castle life: why and how they were built, the weapons that were used in them, their social life in ordinary and extraordinary times, their provisioning, their maintenance and their changing role in a continually evolving political climate.

Life in the Middle Ages

Life in the Middle Ages was much harder than it is now. There were wars, crusades and peasant revolts. There was plague starvation and great contrasts in living standards between rich and poor. For most of the population who worked in the countryside life was peaceful most of the time. Thousands of medieval buildings are still standing. Medieval people wrote books and letters about important events as they happened and many of these have survived for us to read.

Castles in England

England had known fortifications before the advent of the castle. The Iron Age peoples of Ancient Britain fortified hilltops with massive earthworks for tribal defense. The Norman conquerors developed castle building into a fine art.
The castle was a special kind of manor holding. Usually castles could only be built by the approval of the king, who wanted to ensure that any good fortified castle was in the hands of someone he could trust.
Many of England's existing castles began as motte and bailey castles. Windsor Castle, perhaps England's most famous castle and the favorite home of Queen Elizabeth II, is in origin a motte and bailey castle.

Divided into two parts

Castles of Britain and Ireland is divided into two parts. First there are 14 thematic chapters, ranging from details of castle life to the different kinds of castles to be found in different parts of the country. The second part comprises a gazetteer which describes over 1000 of the most important castles in Britain and Ireland.

Publications

Castles of Britain and Ireland by Plantagenet Somerset Fry
Publisher: David & Charles, 1996
ISBN: 0715302426

More information

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