Castles of Northumberland

This video has been designed for use in five sections, each leading into a study of a particular aspect of castles - any castles of a similar type, not just the many in Northumberland. The first part, Siting a Castle, opens by setting the context for castle building. Children are shown how to relate the building to the landscape and to understand that castles were built both to control the land and to give security. Siting was crucial, especially if the castle's rôle was largely defensive. In the second section, Elements of a Castle, we are introduced to the two basic earthworks common to most castles of the period, the motte and bailey. To these are added buildings such as the keep, curtain wall, towers, stables and outhouses.

Defending a Castle forms the third section, looking at the purely defensive features of a castle. All castles had various lines of defence: defended entrances such as barbicans and gateways with drawbridge and portcullis were combined with strong walls and towers. We also learn the best way of attacking castles. The fourth section introduces the skills of observation and deduction involved in Looking at a Wall. We are shown how to look for clues to alterations and how stone was used. Lines of old roofs, doorways, fireplaces, slots for timber floor supports and other construction clues can be seen. The final section, A Place to Live In, looks at a fortified manor house before moving on to larger castles. We see where families lived in a castle and how it could be both a home and a refuge in times of attack.

Part of the series Evidence on Site