first Norman castles in England

castles had been built in Normandy for around 200 years before England

• he built his first castle at Pevensey with a bank and palisade

• at Hastings he built another castle, which also included a motte

in the Anglo-Saxon chronicle there is mention of the first castle built in England, it was described to have a motte and palisade

by 1071 there were 35 castles across England

in 1087 there were 500

the castles built were usually motte and bailey castles

• smaller

• taller

• housed small numbers of soldiers

• a few built from stone but usually from wood