Medieval Castles of England and Wales

Medieval Castles of England and Wales PDF Author: Bernard Lowry
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1784422150
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 81

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Book Description
Designed to dominate the surrounding area, to house powerful garrisons, offer sumptuous quarters for local nobility, and to discourage and repel enemy attacks, castles dominated England and Wales for more than half a millennium. Though some were built before 1066, the Norman Conquest left a lasting legacy in the form of fortifications ranging from small earthworks now barely discernible, to mighty and dominating stone fortresses. This book examines why castles were so essential to medieval warfare, their importance in domestic politics, and the day-to-day lives of those who lived and worked within them. It also shows how the development of new technologies affected their construction and design, and why they eventually fell into disrepair in the late Middle Ages. Beautifully illustrated with stunning photographs, this is the perfect guide for any castle enthusiast seeking to discover more about medieval fortifications and their inhabitants.

Medieval Castles of England and Wales

Medieval Castles of England and Wales PDF Author: Bernard Lowry
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1784422150
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 81

Get Book Here

Book Description
Designed to dominate the surrounding area, to house powerful garrisons, offer sumptuous quarters for local nobility, and to discourage and repel enemy attacks, castles dominated England and Wales for more than half a millennium. Though some were built before 1066, the Norman Conquest left a lasting legacy in the form of fortifications ranging from small earthworks now barely discernible, to mighty and dominating stone fortresses. This book examines why castles were so essential to medieval warfare, their importance in domestic politics, and the day-to-day lives of those who lived and worked within them. It also shows how the development of new technologies affected their construction and design, and why they eventually fell into disrepair in the late Middle Ages. Beautifully illustrated with stunning photographs, this is the perfect guide for any castle enthusiast seeking to discover more about medieval fortifications and their inhabitants.

A Guide to the Medieval Castles of England

A Guide to the Medieval Castles of England PDF Author: Malcolm Hislop
Publisher: Pen and Sword History
ISBN: 1399001132
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 314

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Book Description
Spread across the medieval kingdom of England in a network of often formidable strongholds, castles, like cathedrals, are defining landmarks of their age, dominating their settings, in many cases even to this day. By representing an essential aspect of our history and heritage, the interpretation of which is constantly being revised, they demonstrate the value of Malcolm Hislop’s compact, authoritative and well illustrated new guide to English castles. The gazetteer includes an astonishing variety of types, sizes and designs. Individual entries bring out the salient points of interest including historical context, building history and architectural character. The defensive and domestic purposes of these remarkable buildings are explained, as is the way in which their layout and role developed over the course of hundreds of years, from the predominantly earth and timber fortresses of the Normans to the complex stone castles of the later Middle Ages, many of which can be visited today. Hislop’s experience as an archaeologist specializing in medieval buildings, castles in particular, as well as his eye for structural detail, ensure that his guide is a necessary handbook for readers who are keen on medieval history and warfare, and for visitors who are looking for an accessible introduction to these monumental relics of England’s military past.

Castles in Medieval Society

Castles in Medieval Society PDF Author: Charles Coulson
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199273634
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 455

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Book Description
The vast majority of castles in England, Wales, Ireland, and France have virtually no military history' of sieges or physical conflict across the whole panorama of more than five centuries'. This is quite a sobering thought.

Life in a Medieval City

Life in a Medieval City PDF Author: Frances Gies
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062016679
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 404

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Book Description
From acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies comes the reissue of their classic book on day-to-day life in medieval cities, which was a source for George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series. Evoking every aspect of city life in the Middle Ages, Life in a Medieval City depicts in detail what it was like to live in a prosperous city of Northwest Europe in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The year is 1250 CE and the city is Troyes, capital of the county of Champagne and site of two of the cycle Champagne Fairs—the “Hot Fair” in August and the “Cold Fair” in December. European civilization has emerged from the Dark Ages and is in the midst of a commercial revolution. Merchants and money men from all over Europe gather at Troyes to buy, sell, borrow, and lend, creating a bustling market center typical of the feudal era. As the Gieses take us through the day-to-day life of burghers, we learn the customs and habits of lords and serfs, how financial transactions were conducted, how medieval cities were governed, and what life was really like for a wide range of people. For serious students of the medieval era and anyone wishing to learn more about this fascinating period, Life in a Medieval City remains a timeless work of popular medieval scholarship.

Castles

Castles PDF Author: Reginald Allen Brown
Publisher: Bloomsbury Shire Publications
ISBN:
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Book Description


Life in a Medieval Castle

Life in a Medieval Castle PDF Author: Joseph Gies
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062016504
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
From acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies comes the reissue of this definitive classic on medieval castles, which was a source for George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series. “Castles are crumbly and romantic. They still hint at an age more colorful and gallant than our own, but are often debunked by boring people who like to run on about drafts and grumble that the latrines did not work. Joseph and Frances Gies offer a book that helps set the record straight—and keeps the romance too.”—Time A widely respected academic work and a source for George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, Joseph and Frances Gies’s bestselling Life in a Medieval Castle remains a timeless work of popular medieval scholarship. Focusing on Chepstow, an English castle that survived the turbulent Middle Ages with a relative lack of violence, the book offers an exquisite portrait of what day-to-day life was actually like during the era, and of the key role the castle played. The Gieses take us through the full cycle of a medieval year, dictated by the rhythms of the harvest. We learn what lords and serfs alike would have worn, eaten, and done for leisure, and of the outside threats the castle always hoped to keep at bay. For medieval buffs and anyone who wants to learn more about this fascinating era, Life in a Medieval Castle is as timely today as when it was first published.

The Medieval Castles of Wales

The Medieval Castles of Wales PDF Author: John R. Kenyon
Publisher: University of Wales Press
ISBN: 1783162953
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
The purpose of the book is to give visitors to the medieval castles of Wales a concise but informative description of the main publicly accessible sites in a convenient format. An introductory chapter outlines the development of castle architecture in Britain, drawing on Welsh examples, with a number of ‘box features’ that elaborate more fully on particular aspects, such as gatehouses, or key personalities such as Llywelyn Fawr. Five chapters form a regionally based gazetteer of the castles described. Each entry is prefaced with a key to arrangements at each castle, such as whether there is an entry charge. The know history of any given site is then summarized, and this is then followed by the core of each entry, namely the description of the visible remains, to enable visitors to navigate their way around. Some of the descriptions of the larger sites are accompanied by plans. A final chapter provides a brief overview of castle-like buildings dating from the seventeenth century onwards, and this is followed by a guide to further reading.

The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval England

The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval England PDF Author: Nigel Saul
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780198205029
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 358

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Book Description
A thorough and well-illustrated history with eight long essays by leading scholars which cover the history and culture of England, rather than the British Isles, from the 5th to the 15th century. Contents: Medieval England - Identity, Politics and Society ( Nigel Saul ); Anglo-Saxon England ( Janet L Nelson ); Conquered England ( George Garnett ); Late Medieval England 1215-1485 ( Chris Given-Wilson ); Economy and Society ( Christopher Dyer ); Piety, Religion and the Church ( Henrietta Leyser ); The Visual Arts ( Nicola Coldstream ); Language and Literature ( Derek Pearsall ).

Britain's Medieval Castles

Britain's Medieval Castles PDF Author: Lise E. Hull
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313027447
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 246

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Book Description
The widespread construction of castles in Britain began as soon as Duke William of Normandy set foot on the shores of southern England in 1066. The castles that were constructed in the ensuing centuries, and whose ruins still scatter the British countryside today, provide us with an enduring record of the needs and ambitions of the times. But the essence of the medieval castle—a structure that is equal parts military, residential, and symbolic—reveals itself not only through the grandeur of such architectural masterpieces as the Tower of London, and the imposing nature of such royal residences as Windsor, but also in the aging masonry carvings, enduring battlements, and more modest earthen ramparts that have survived alongside them. Through a feature-by-feature account of the architectural elements and techniques used in constructing the medieval castle, author Lise Hull allows the multiple functions of these multifarious forms to shine through, and in so doing, lends a new vitality to the thousand faces that the medieval world assumed to discourage its enemies, inspire its friends, and control its subjects. This compelling investigation takes a unique look at each of the medieval castle's main roles: as an offensive presentation and defensive fortification, as a residential and administrative building, and as a symbolic structure demonstrating the status of its owner. Each chapter focuses on one specific role and uses concrete architectural features to demonstrate that aspect of the medieval castle in Britain. A wealth of illustrations is also provided, as is a glossary explaining the distinct parts of the castle and their functions. This book should be of interest to students researching architecture, the Middle Ages, or military history, as well as general readers interested in castles or considering a trip to Britain to observe some of these magnificent sites themselves.

Castles, Palaces and Stately Homes

Castles, Palaces and Stately Homes PDF Author: Charles Phillips
Publisher: Lorenz Books
ISBN: 9780754834960
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
This sumptuously illustrated history presents, in an updated new edition, an in-depth account of Britain's most important buildings.