Military Architecture in England during the Middle Ages
Military Architecture in England during the Middle Ages
Henry Erowde, Oxford University Press | 1912 | ISBN: No | English | 380 Pages | PDF | 182 MB
Henry Erowde, Oxford University Press | 1912 | ISBN: No | English | 380 Pages | PDF | 182 MB
In the late 12th and early 13th centuries, a scientific approach to castle defence emerged. This led to the proliferation of towers, with an emphasis on flanking fire. Many new castles were polygonal or relied on concentric defence several stages of defence within each other that could all function at the same time to maximise the castle's firepower. These changes in defence have been attributed to a mixture of castle technology from the Crusades, such as concentric fortification, and inspiration from earlier defences such as Roman forts. While castles continued to be built well into the 16th century, new techniques to deal with improved cannon fire made them uncomfortable and undesirable places to live. As a result, true castles went into decline and were replaced by artillery forts with no role in civil administration, and country houses that were indefensible.