tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post6944998482604171763..comments2023-10-12T02:21:40.102-07:00Comments on English Historical Fiction Authors: Castles 101Debra Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03256313302199653185noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-88213809470391630462014-01-31T07:52:56.766-08:002014-01-31T07:52:56.766-08:00Very helpful, Pat. It's a thegn's dwellin...Very helpful, Pat. It's a thegn's dwelling so I'll be having a wooden gate. Many thanks.Regan Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02977297105533227463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-82255139661548134182014-01-30T19:35:44.201-08:002014-01-30T19:35:44.201-08:00No, you're thinking of a portcullis. I simply ...No, you're thinking of a portcullis. I simply took it to mean a gate. The gates to the city of London (there were 7) - at least, the part that could be closed - would have been of thick oak. I suspect Wulfstan was referring to any kind of gate that could be locked. The bell would have been in a tower. Many of the nobles had churches on their estates in the 11th c, so the bell could have even been in the church tower. Not steeples, but square towers. Or there could be a watchtower beside the gate. Pat Bracewellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17274880185427219085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-65570490341605752962014-01-30T15:32:58.143-08:002014-01-30T15:32:58.143-08:00Pat, thank you so much. It does have a gate but I&...Pat, thank you so much. It does have a gate but I'm thinking I should change the "wall" to a pallisade (spelling from the OED). What, pray tell, is a "bell and castle gate"? I get the bell, but a castle gate with a pallisade? Does that mean with an iron grill that could be raised and lowered?Regan Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02977297105533227463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-47116787176675951422014-01-30T15:06:28.802-08:002014-01-30T15:06:28.802-08:00That is an even tougher question. You describe a l...That is an even tougher question. You describe a low, defensive wall, although I'm not sure how much defense such a low wall would provide, if that's what you're after. According to Arch. Wulfstan, in order to be entitled to the rights of a thegn you had to have 5 hides of land, a bell and a castle gate. One presumes the gate was attached to a wall of some kind. I'm looking at a drawing of an estate in late Anglo-Saxon England, (I'm sorry, I did not make a note of the reference work it came from) and it has what I would call a palisade - made of wood. (Bernard Cornwell uses the word palisade in his Saxon Tales and I've followed his lead in my own books). I would expect that city (Roman) walls might be topped with wooden palisades for added defense. The only OE word I know of is wall. Hope that helps.Pat Bracewellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17274880185427219085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-91255344145595220662014-01-30T12:48:29.317-08:002014-01-30T12:48:29.317-08:00Oh, thanks, Pat. Yes, indeed. I'm off to repla...Oh, thanks, Pat. Yes, indeed. I'm off to replace "courtyard" with "yard." I do hope the readers will know what I mean! And would the "wall" (in my case about 4 feet high wall built of rock and surrounding the manor and hall, be called a wall or should it be a wooden "pallisade" with timbers pointed at the top, fort style? (Pallisade in the OED dates from the 16th century but they must have called it something.) I have found nothing definitive in my research as to what to call the surrounding structure. Regan Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02977297105533227463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-69896396142557861122014-01-30T10:56:18.201-08:002014-01-30T10:56:18.201-08:00Regan that's an excellent question. Courtyard ...Regan that's an excellent question. Courtyard is a late word - 15th century. The Anglo-Saxons probably just called it a yard. Garth is a Norse term for the same kind of space. And now I, having addressed this question, I have to go take 'courtyard' out of my wip. Thank you!!!Pat Bracewellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17274880185427219085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-78112480681796610632014-01-29T17:48:55.345-08:002014-01-29T17:48:55.345-08:00An excellent post, Maria.An excellent post, Maria.Pat Bracewellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17274880185427219085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-2252500395896338572014-01-29T17:22:08.833-08:002014-01-29T17:22:08.833-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Pat Bracewellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17274880185427219085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-73751174088799623982014-01-29T14:00:03.560-08:002014-01-29T14:00:03.560-08:00The famous castles in Wales were built by King Edw...The famous castles in Wales were built by King Edward I ... usually the "Edwardian" period in the United Kingdom refers to the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910. I believe Edward I was a Plantagenet.Sally Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11287628255330281037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-73441966137493674592014-01-29T11:02:24.868-08:002014-01-29T11:02:24.868-08:00Forgot to ask to receive notices when answered...Forgot to ask to receive notices when answered...Regan Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02977297105533227463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-91570434953683957242014-01-29T11:01:45.139-08:002014-01-29T11:01:45.139-08:00A great help, thanks. I have always wondered what ...A great help, thanks. I have always wondered what the Anglo Saxons (pre Conquest) called the area between the manor and hall and the fence, pallisade or wall they might have surrounding it. Surely they didn't call it a bailey. Do you know what it might have been called? A courtyard perhaps?Regan Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02977297105533227463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-65802813348555236662014-01-29T08:58:03.545-08:002014-01-29T08:58:03.545-08:00I love the aerial photos that show the foundations...I love the aerial photos that show the foundations of old fortifications. I've done research on motte and bailey, but I think the hill forts of the north are still my favorite historically. I'd love to explore ruins. One day, I hope. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-77525788105729391162014-01-29T08:53:25.225-08:002014-01-29T08:53:25.225-08:00A very nice and interesting post on castles. Just ...A very nice and interesting post on castles. Just one point of note as the post referred to castles as the usual property of a noble lord and not really for public defence. The crown and its government owned and managed its own castles such as the Tower of London, Windsor, Bristol, Devizes and the famous Edwardian castles in Wales. In Ireland the English government held a number of castles such as at Dublin, Athlone, Roscommon, Limerick and Newcastle in Co. Wicklow. These castles acted as premises for royal administration - often used by the county sheriff and as assembly centres for gathering the royal army for some campaign. Still, beside my rambling, a very good post. Niall O'Brienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15438525691451657543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2456802468539868519.post-65876368649948604162014-01-29T04:48:02.089-08:002014-01-29T04:48:02.089-08:00Castles - whats not to like about them eh? I love ...Castles - whats not to like about them eh? I love spending time wondering around these buildings. Unfortunately in the period I write in they were rarely built in stone so I don't have the excuse of spending time researching a castle in the preconquest England era. Really enjoyed your post MariaPaula Loftinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com