Motte-and-bailey

A motte-and-bailey castle was established on the site of the White Tower after his coronation. The location made use of London's old Roman walls, which provided ready-made defences. Building inside the city's walls also placed Norman military power within London itself: the castle could control the population as well as protect its occupants.

In a motte-and-bailey castle, this courtyard adjoins an artificial mound, the motte, which supports a tower, usually of timber in an early castle. This is a useful layout to recognise, but a castle standing on a natural hill is not automatically a motte-and-bailey castle.