King Edward I Castle Home Analysis

This documentary relates King Edward I's policy of castle building in order to keep borders safe, especially in Wales. Indeed, ever since the Normans conquered England, Kings tried to integrate the rebellious Wales into the English kingdom. During his reign, from 1272 to 1307, Edward I ordered the construction of several castles, which he entrusted to loyal lords, to facilitate the conquest of Wales. These castles were highly fortified, were built over decades and costed a lot of money. People were recruited from all over the country for the constructions of these castles. Workers were either forced to work on the construction or took the opportunity to start over in a new town, out of the constraining guilds' system. At first, fortified castles were motte-and-bailey construction surrounded by a palissage. The castles' structures evolved thanks to ideas brought from the Crusade. From this point forward, castles' walls were filled and very thick to support potential attacks. The lower windows were very narrow, protected by iron bars and could be closed from the inside. Crenelations, merlons and arrow loops from which an archer could shoot in two directions from the same position without being exposed to the enemy's fire were added. Many …show more content…
Besides, the epidemics such as the plague or the introduction of gunpowder made these castles useless and these products of Edward I's policy were abandonned and ignored. There are still here today and can be admired as a proof of the medieval genius. Arundel castle in West Sussex England, was built in the 11th century, served as the principal seat of the Norfolk family for over 400 years, and even briefly belonged to Richard I, is a good example of how a medieval castle evolved over time. Some castles were also used to illustrate famous legend, such as Cheptsow castle in Wales, who is supposedly the castle of King