Build your own mini motte-and-bailey castle
When the Normans first invaded England, they built a series of motte-and-bailey castles to assert their power. These were made of a big mound of earth (the motte), with a wooden or stone tower on top and a small settlement in an enclosed area at the bottom (the bailey). Your challenge is to make your own mini motte and bailey. There's a bit of painting and cutting involved so make sure you get an adult to help.
Motte and Bailey Castles
When the Normans conquered England, motte and bailey castles sprung up all over the country. Many of them survive to this day, and are still in English Heritage's care. Portchester Castle, Carisbrooke Castle, Longtown Castle, Warkworth Castle, Launceston Castle and Old Sarum, are all motte and bailey castles. Now's your chance to get crafty and build one of your own.
The Bailey
Cut out a large circle of cardboard and stick it to your base. Paint it green but with a path going from the steps at the foot of your motte to the other side. For houses, paint some small boxes. Make the roofs out of folded paper and stick them on top. Position these around your bailey and stick them down. You can add more building, such as stables, and evenLego or Playmobile people and animals to bring your castle to life.
The Keep
Use a small cardboard box for the keep. Either cut square into the top of the boc to make the battlements or make cardboard strips to stick on top of the box. Paint your keep grey or bwon. Once it's dry, add details such as the gate, small windows and a few stones using a black pen. Stick it to your mound and then stick the staircase in place going from the gate to the floor.
The Moat
Paint a blue moat around the base of your motte and bailey. If you have polystyreene or thick cardboard, you can even press down into this area to make a real ditch. Pain the rest of your base green.
The Motte
You'll need a big piece of cardboard or polystyrene as a base. If you have a spare plastic bowl, you could use that for the motte. Otherwise, scrunch up newspaper pages into balls and stick them together using glue or sticky tape. Finish off by wrapping your mound in a sheet of newspaper. Pain it green. Once it's dry, stick it to your base. Concertina fold a strip of cardboard to make a staircase.
The Wall
If you want an authentic palisade wall, cut two lengths of cardboard big enough to go around your bailey and the top of your motte. Cut lollipop sticks in half. Stick the lollipop sticks along your cardboard to make a wooden fence. Create a drawbridge out of cardboard and string and paint it brown.
Watch the new episode of Kids Rule TV
So you've finished with your motte-and-bailey castle and it's a beauty.
Want to find out more about the Norman Conquest? Watch this episode of Kids Rule TV, as Esme tackles 1066, the year that changed England forever.
She even makes her own motte and bailey castle!