The United Kingdom is home to thousands of castles, each with its own story etched into the landscape. From ancient hill forts perched on high ground to imposing stone fortresses built to assert power and control, these structures chart the island’s long and turbulent history.
How many castles are there in the UK?
There are more than 4,000 castles dotted around the UK. Many of the UK’s castles began life as Bronze or Iron Age forts, built to provide defence against potential invaders. Forts tended to be built on high ground which offered good visibility of the surrounding landscape.
The Roman Invasion saw many of Britain’s hill forts occupied as defence sites once again. However, mass castle building in Britain dates back to the Norman era during William the Conqueror's reign when hundreds of large stone castles were built throughout England for protection.
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The first Norman castles were motte-and-bailey castles, a wooden or stone keep set on an artificial mound called a motte, surrounded by an enclosed courtyard or bailey. This in turn was surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade.
These early medieval castles used the motte and bailey system with ditches, but later the trend in the 13th century saw stone castle building gain popularity.