How to Make a Motte and Bailey Castle
Find a wide, flat base., Trace two overlapping circles on your base., Glue or tape a bowl in place for your motte., If your bowl isn't already green or brown, re-color it., Make the palisade wall from popsicle sticks., Make the keep and put it at...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find a wide
Historically, motte and bailey castles were usually either built next to a small hill or the hill was created artificially.For our model, we'll use the "artificial" approach.
Start by grabbing a flat, square piece of material at least a foot or so on each side.
Ideally, this material should be something that glue will stick to.
It should also be green to replicate the grassy European countryside.
Ideas include:
Green construction paper Butcher paper painted or drawn green Green felt Green cloth Styrofoam squares (e.g., cooler lid) painted or drawn green Plywood painted green -
Step 2: flat base.
The construction plans for motte and bailey castles almost always always involved two large circles — one for the outer courtyard wall and one for the raised mound that the keep is built on.
The two circles should overlap slightly in the middle as if you were drawing a snowman.
The circle for the mound should be smaller than the one for the courtyard.
A good way to do this is to find two bowls of different sizes, lay them face-down on your base one at a time, and trace a circle around each with a pencil or marker.
If you can, use a paper bowl for your smaller circle so that you can use it for the motte itself as well.
If you can, try to leave at least an inch or so around the edges of your circles so that you have room to add details outside the wall later. , Take the bowl that you used to trace your motte (the smaller one) and secure it inside the circle you traced to create your motte.
If you don't have a bowl handy to use for your motte, you can use any round or cone-shaped object that's the right size.
Some ideas include:
Traffic/safety cones (with top two-thirds cut off) Paper or plastic cups (with top one-third cut off) Rounded styrofoam pieces.
Flower pots Papier Mâché (you'll need to form it into a hill-like shape and allow it to dry before proceeding) , Historically, mottes were made from built-up dirt that grass and plants would eventually grow on over time.
Thus, if you're shooting for a realistic-looking castle, you'll probably want to make your motte one of these colors.
There are several things you may want to use for this — pick the one that's most convenient for you (keeping in mind that paint, ink, etc. is permanent):
Paint Markers Painted newspaper Construction paper Cellophane Felt/fabric , Most motte and bailey castles had a circular wall made from sturdy tree trunks called a palisade.
The easiest way to replicate this is to stick together rows of small wooden sticks (like popsicle sticks, coffee stirrers, or even dry twigs from outdoors).
Tape or glue each piece of the wall in place carefully.
When finished, the wall should extend around the edge of the large circle, up the sides of the motte, and around the back of the flat upper part of the motte so that no invaders can get in easily.
Popsicle sticks can usually be bought in bulk at craft stores for quite cheap.
The best thing about using actual wood pieces like popsicle sticks is that you don't need to color them — they already look like wood.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can stain your wood to give it a more realistic feel.
Another good detail to add for realism is to put a single horizontal ring of sticks stretching around the entire inside portion of the wall.
Real-life palisade walls were often reinforced this way.
Here is a good picture of this., One of the distinguishing features of the motte and bailey castle is the keep — the small defensive structure (sort of like a mini-castle) at the top of the motte that served as the stronghold for defenders.
In real life, the keep could be made out of wood or stone, so there are many different ways you can make your model keep.
Below are just a few ideas:
Models Building toys (i.e., Legos, etc.) Small cardboard boxes Cardboard milk cartons Popsicle sticks (just like the wall) Whichever method you choose, it's a good idea to add realism by drawing or cutting small, thin windows in the sides of the keep.
You can also put a square zig-zag pattern at the top of the keep to give it a "castle" look. , The keep wasn't usually the only building in a motte and bailey fortification.
Inside the lower bailey, there were almost always buildings to support the soldiers who defended the castle — barracks for them to live in, stables for their horses, storehouses where they kept their gear, places for them to eat, and so on.You can use any of the building methods recommended above for the keep to make these buildings, but if you're going for realism, keep the following points in mind:
These buildings typically weren't as sturdy as the keep, since they weren't where the soldiers would be during an invasion.
Thus, they were usually made from wood or a wood-and-plaster construction.
These buildings usually used a simple square construction with pointed roofs — again, they were meant to be functional, not fancy.
One good way to imitate this is to glue popsicle sticks together to make a box, then use white paper for the walls. , Now that you have the basics of your motte and bailey model in place, it's up to you to truly make your castle unique! There's no "right way" to do this, but we've recommended some things that you may want to add (and given ideas for how to add them in parentheses.) One thing that's easy to add to your castle is plant life — see below for ideas:
Bushes (painted or dyed cotton balls, moss, lichen, etc.) Trees (toys/models, painted cotton swabs, leafy twigs, etc.) Creeping vines on walls and buildings (painted directly on, green string, plant stems, etc.) Gardens (brown paint for dirt; small green paper shapes for crops) , Living things truly make your motte and bailey come to life.
The easiest way to add people and animals to your castle is to use small toys (like Lego figurines, Warhammer models, army men, etc.).
Defending soldiers — see here for a guide to Norman weapons and gear.Invaders — see here for a guide to Viking warfare (Vikings were common invaders at the time of motte and bailey castles.)Horses/livestock — war horses, mules, cattle, pigs, chickens and so on are all appropriate.
A lord or lady of the castle and their family — see here for a guide to medieval nobles' clothing (for reference, motte and bailey castles were common in the 1000s and 1100s.) , Give your structures extra flavor with these aesthetic touches:
Flags/banners (dowel or toothpick for pole, fabric strip for flag — Norman flags were often red with a yellow cross or lion.)Wells (small circle of popsicle stick tips, blue paint for water) Chimneys (small square of popsicle sticks) Plaster walls (white paint or paper for walls with crisscrossing brown support beams made from popsicle sticks) Paths leading to buildings/keep (paint) , Make your castle strike terror into the heart of any invader with these fearsome defensive fortifications:
A walled-in path or staircase leading up the hill to the keep (popsicle sticks for the walls, paint for the path) Small defensive posts around the walls Defensive ditches (the easiest way to make these is to put the entire model on top of a square piece of styrofoam, then cut a narrow indentation in a circle around the outside of the bailey and at the bottom of the motte.
Paint the indented portion brown (or blue if you want a moat.) Sharpened stakes around the outer ditches (toothpicks) Gate and drawbridge at the front of the courtyard (popsicle stick, strings for chains) -
Step 3: Trace two overlapping circles on your base.
-
Step 4: Glue or tape a bowl in place for your motte.
-
Step 5: If your bowl isn't already green or brown
-
Step 6: re-color it.
-
Step 7: Make the palisade wall from popsicle sticks.
-
Step 8: Make the keep and put it at the top of the motte.
-
Step 9: Add several buildings inside the courtyard.
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Step 10: Add vegetation.
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Step 11: Add people and animals.
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Step 12: Add minor building features.
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Step 13: Add extra defensive features.
Detailed Guide
Historically, motte and bailey castles were usually either built next to a small hill or the hill was created artificially.For our model, we'll use the "artificial" approach.
Start by grabbing a flat, square piece of material at least a foot or so on each side.
Ideally, this material should be something that glue will stick to.
It should also be green to replicate the grassy European countryside.
Ideas include:
Green construction paper Butcher paper painted or drawn green Green felt Green cloth Styrofoam squares (e.g., cooler lid) painted or drawn green Plywood painted green
The construction plans for motte and bailey castles almost always always involved two large circles — one for the outer courtyard wall and one for the raised mound that the keep is built on.
The two circles should overlap slightly in the middle as if you were drawing a snowman.
The circle for the mound should be smaller than the one for the courtyard.
A good way to do this is to find two bowls of different sizes, lay them face-down on your base one at a time, and trace a circle around each with a pencil or marker.
If you can, use a paper bowl for your smaller circle so that you can use it for the motte itself as well.
If you can, try to leave at least an inch or so around the edges of your circles so that you have room to add details outside the wall later. , Take the bowl that you used to trace your motte (the smaller one) and secure it inside the circle you traced to create your motte.
If you don't have a bowl handy to use for your motte, you can use any round or cone-shaped object that's the right size.
Some ideas include:
Traffic/safety cones (with top two-thirds cut off) Paper or plastic cups (with top one-third cut off) Rounded styrofoam pieces.
Flower pots Papier Mâché (you'll need to form it into a hill-like shape and allow it to dry before proceeding) , Historically, mottes were made from built-up dirt that grass and plants would eventually grow on over time.
Thus, if you're shooting for a realistic-looking castle, you'll probably want to make your motte one of these colors.
There are several things you may want to use for this — pick the one that's most convenient for you (keeping in mind that paint, ink, etc. is permanent):
Paint Markers Painted newspaper Construction paper Cellophane Felt/fabric , Most motte and bailey castles had a circular wall made from sturdy tree trunks called a palisade.
The easiest way to replicate this is to stick together rows of small wooden sticks (like popsicle sticks, coffee stirrers, or even dry twigs from outdoors).
Tape or glue each piece of the wall in place carefully.
When finished, the wall should extend around the edge of the large circle, up the sides of the motte, and around the back of the flat upper part of the motte so that no invaders can get in easily.
Popsicle sticks can usually be bought in bulk at craft stores for quite cheap.
The best thing about using actual wood pieces like popsicle sticks is that you don't need to color them — they already look like wood.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can stain your wood to give it a more realistic feel.
Another good detail to add for realism is to put a single horizontal ring of sticks stretching around the entire inside portion of the wall.
Real-life palisade walls were often reinforced this way.
Here is a good picture of this., One of the distinguishing features of the motte and bailey castle is the keep — the small defensive structure (sort of like a mini-castle) at the top of the motte that served as the stronghold for defenders.
In real life, the keep could be made out of wood or stone, so there are many different ways you can make your model keep.
Below are just a few ideas:
Models Building toys (i.e., Legos, etc.) Small cardboard boxes Cardboard milk cartons Popsicle sticks (just like the wall) Whichever method you choose, it's a good idea to add realism by drawing or cutting small, thin windows in the sides of the keep.
You can also put a square zig-zag pattern at the top of the keep to give it a "castle" look. , The keep wasn't usually the only building in a motte and bailey fortification.
Inside the lower bailey, there were almost always buildings to support the soldiers who defended the castle — barracks for them to live in, stables for their horses, storehouses where they kept their gear, places for them to eat, and so on.You can use any of the building methods recommended above for the keep to make these buildings, but if you're going for realism, keep the following points in mind:
These buildings typically weren't as sturdy as the keep, since they weren't where the soldiers would be during an invasion.
Thus, they were usually made from wood or a wood-and-plaster construction.
These buildings usually used a simple square construction with pointed roofs — again, they were meant to be functional, not fancy.
One good way to imitate this is to glue popsicle sticks together to make a box, then use white paper for the walls. , Now that you have the basics of your motte and bailey model in place, it's up to you to truly make your castle unique! There's no "right way" to do this, but we've recommended some things that you may want to add (and given ideas for how to add them in parentheses.) One thing that's easy to add to your castle is plant life — see below for ideas:
Bushes (painted or dyed cotton balls, moss, lichen, etc.) Trees (toys/models, painted cotton swabs, leafy twigs, etc.) Creeping vines on walls and buildings (painted directly on, green string, plant stems, etc.) Gardens (brown paint for dirt; small green paper shapes for crops) , Living things truly make your motte and bailey come to life.
The easiest way to add people and animals to your castle is to use small toys (like Lego figurines, Warhammer models, army men, etc.).
Defending soldiers — see here for a guide to Norman weapons and gear.Invaders — see here for a guide to Viking warfare (Vikings were common invaders at the time of motte and bailey castles.)Horses/livestock — war horses, mules, cattle, pigs, chickens and so on are all appropriate.
A lord or lady of the castle and their family — see here for a guide to medieval nobles' clothing (for reference, motte and bailey castles were common in the 1000s and 1100s.) , Give your structures extra flavor with these aesthetic touches:
Flags/banners (dowel or toothpick for pole, fabric strip for flag — Norman flags were often red with a yellow cross or lion.)Wells (small circle of popsicle stick tips, blue paint for water) Chimneys (small square of popsicle sticks) Plaster walls (white paint or paper for walls with crisscrossing brown support beams made from popsicle sticks) Paths leading to buildings/keep (paint) , Make your castle strike terror into the heart of any invader with these fearsome defensive fortifications:
A walled-in path or staircase leading up the hill to the keep (popsicle sticks for the walls, paint for the path) Small defensive posts around the walls Defensive ditches (the easiest way to make these is to put the entire model on top of a square piece of styrofoam, then cut a narrow indentation in a circle around the outside of the bailey and at the bottom of the motte.
Paint the indented portion brown (or blue if you want a moat.) Sharpened stakes around the outer ditches (toothpicks) Gate and drawbridge at the front of the courtyard (popsicle stick, strings for chains)
About the Author
Ruth Cole
Committed to making cooking accessible and understandable for everyone.
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