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History Quiz - Medieval Castles 02 (Questions)

This KS3 History quiz takes a further look at medieval castles. Following the Norman invasion, many of the Saxons who lived in England were not happy. They organised into small armies and rebelled against the invaders. One rebellion succeeded in destroying York castle, killing the soldiers who were living there. William the Conqueror was annoyed about that, so he sent his army to the north of England to destroy crops, buildings and to kill as many people as they could. He then took lands from English nobles and gave them to his own knights and nobles who were instructed to build a castle. That is one reason there are so many medieval castles in England.

The early motte and bailey castles were replaced by more solid stone structures. The central wooden building was replaced by a fortified stone tower called the keep and the palisade was replaced by a high and very solid stone wall.

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They were very often square in shape with features like a moat and loup holes to help to repel attackers. Many medieval castles were so well-built that they can still be visited today to give us an exciting link with the past. Chillingham Castle in Northumberland is said to be one of the most haunted castles in Britain and still has its medieval torture chamber.

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1. During the 12th century what material replaced wood for castle building?
[ ] Brick
[ ] Concrete
[ ] Stone
[ ] Thatch
2. What is a castle's stone tower called?
[ ] Crow's Nest
[ ] Keep
[ ] Lookout
[ ] Obelisk
3. Crenellations are found in what part of a castle?
[ ] Battlements
[ ] Fireplaces
[ ] Lavatories
[ ] Staircases
4. Soldiers who lived in a castle were the .......
[ ] Battalion
[ ] Garrison
[ ] Legion
[ ] Spongers
5. What is a castle moat?
[ ] A ceremonial hall
[ ] A deep ditch around the castle
[ ] A flagpole attached to the keep
[ ] A storeroom
6. In the 13th century Edward I built castles where?
[ ] France
[ ] Ireland
[ ] Spain
[ ] Wales
7. What type of castles have walls within walls?
[ ] Centrifugal
[ ] Concentric
[ ] Connective
[ ] Egocentric
8. Why were the circular staircases often built clockwise?
[ ] Clockwise stairs made it easier to tell the time
[ ] It made them easier to defend
[ ] People got less dizzy going up and down them
[ ] They were easier to build that way
9. A trebuchet, used to attack castles, was like a giant .......
[ ] Axe
[ ] Battering ram
[ ] Cannon
[ ] Catapult
10. Castle defenders could pour boiling oil through holes called what?
[ ] Lubrications
[ ] Machicolations
[ ] Matriculations
[ ] Percolations
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History Quiz - Medieval Castles 02 (Answers)
1. During the 12th century what material replaced wood for castle building?
[ ] Brick
[ ] Concrete
[x] Stone
[ ] Thatch
Some of it was quarried and some was recycled from older buildings
2. What is a castle's stone tower called?
[ ] Crow's Nest
[x] Keep
[ ] Lookout
[ ] Obelisk
It is the most highly fortified section of a medieval castle
3. Crenellations are found in what part of a castle?
[x] Battlements
[ ] Fireplaces
[ ] Lavatories
[ ] Staircases
Crenellations refers to the notches in the battlements
4. Soldiers who lived in a castle were the .......
[ ] Battalion
[x] Garrison
[ ] Legion
[ ] Spongers
These could be from the king or queen's troops or the nobleman's own private army
5. What is a castle moat?
[ ] A ceremonial hall
[x] A deep ditch around the castle
[ ] A flagpole attached to the keep
[ ] A storeroom
Moats usually contained water as extra defence
6. In the 13th century Edward I built castles where?
[ ] France
[ ] Ireland
[ ] Spain
[x] Wales
Edward built them to help him conquer Wales
7. What type of castles have walls within walls?
[ ] Centrifugal
[x] Concentric
[ ] Connective
[ ] Egocentric
Dover Castle in Kent is a good example
8. Why were the circular staircases often built clockwise?
[ ] Clockwise stairs made it easier to tell the time
[x] It made them easier to defend
[ ] People got less dizzy going up and down them
[ ] They were easier to build that way
Right-handed defenders would have an advantage
9. A trebuchet, used to attack castles, was like a giant .......
[ ] Axe
[ ] Battering ram
[ ] Cannon
[x] Catapult
It hurled large rocks and other missiles
10. Castle defenders could pour boiling oil through holes called what?
[ ] Lubrications
[x] Machicolations
[ ] Matriculations
[ ] Percolations
These are openings in the floor of higher parts of the castle that enable the defenders to drop things like rocks and boiling oil vertically down onto anyone attacking the castle. They are more common in French-built castles and are often built above the main gate