02 Castles

Castles

High on a hill The ruins of a huge stone castle stand on a hill Hundreds of years ago, this castle was full of people. Some castles were built on cliffs, so they had a good view out to sea.

A huge home Castles were built for rich people such as lords and ladies or kings and queens. Servants worked and lived in the castle grounds. Soldiers guarded the castle gate.

The castle's main tower is called a keep. A thick wall was built to keep enemies out. Rich people had two or three castles. If they were tired of one, they moved to another.

Types of castles Some castles were made of wood. The keep was built on a high mound of earth. Keep Other castles were made of stone. They had strong towers and thick walls. Building a castle sometimes took more than 20 years.

Some castles had water around them. This is called a moat. The moat helped to keep out enemies. People crossed the moat on a wooden platform called a drawbridge. The drawbridge was pulled up with chains if an enemy came near.