Download or read book English Castles 1200–1300 written by Christopher Gravett and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-01-20 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The simple castles raised after the Norman conquest had been developed throughout 11th and 12th centuries, whilst the introduction of Islamic and Byzantine fortification techniques from the late 12th century led to further developments in castle architecture. These fortifications were to be well tested throughout the course of the 13th century as England was riven by the conflict, characterized by prolonged sieges, between the monarchy and powerful magnates. As well as providing the focus for warfare, castles increasingly became the centres of their communities, providing a more permanent base for the lord, his family and retainers, as well as acting as centres for justice and administration.