“In medieval Europe the first castles appeared in the 9th century, when the Carolingian empire was collapsing due to Viking and Magyar raids” Castles began to appear everywhere on the British landscape after 1066 and the Norman Conquest led by William the Conqueror. The castle was, and still is, a unique and identifying feature of British heritage. The period between the 11th and 14th centuries saw the functions of castles change radically. The first castles after 1066 were built by the Normans and were ideal in conditions of conquest. During the 12th and 13th centuries the most dramatic change occurred from wood to stone. The first castles were wooden castles with mottes and courtyards, then stronger stone castles developed. In three definitive styles, rectangular towers, shell towers and circular towers. Before 1066 there were only 100 pre-built wooden castles with motte and courtyard structures. Castles then quickly took over the British Isles as it is thought that as many as 1000 such castles were built in the first decades following the conquest. The Normans scoured the breadth of the town in search of land that met the criteria of a castle with motte and courtyard. .A motte meant a large earthen mound with a tower or "tower" on top. A courtyard is recognized as the outer wall of the castle and a courtyard, which surrounded the keep. The two components were built on mounds. Most of these castles were built on the highest elevations in the area, were joined by rivers, overlooked cities or near ports. La Motte was extremely steep, for defensive purposes. The keep would then be on top of the mound. It usually had three floors. The courtyard was shallower and defended the yard and the barracks. La Motte was generally... middle of paper... there was an increase in military activity, such as Edward I's campaigns against the French and Welsh, there was even greater castle activity, more were built to suit the hostile climate of the late 13th century. Therefore, the way castles were built reflected the need for better defenses. The reason is that there have been many improvements in weapons and military tactics over the 273 years in question. Bibliography The Sutton Companion to Castles, Stephen Friar, 2003, Sutton Publishing Limited Castles: An Introduction to the Castles of England and Wales. BH St. J. O'Neil., FSA London, 1973, Her Majesty's Stationary.The Rise of the Castle, M.W. Thompson, 1991, University of Cambridge PressCastles in Medieval Society: Fortresses in England, France, and Ireland in the Central Middle Age, Charles Coulson, 2003, Oxford University Press.