Bodiam Castle Teachers Resource Pack

 



 

Contents

 

Maps

P. 3

Introduction

P. 5

How to Have a Fantastic Visit!

P. 6

A History of Bodiam Castle

P. 7

Timeline

P. 8

The Exterior of the Castle

P. 9

The Interior of the Castle

P. 10

Background Information

P. 12

Worksheets

P. 19



 

Map of the Site

4

3 2

1

1. Car Park 2. Shop, Tearoom, Function Room and Toilets 3. Entry and Ticket Office 4. Castle Cottage and Storage Boxes

 



 

Map of the Castle

 



 

Welcome and Introduction

Bodiam is one of the most picturesque castles in England. Constructed at the end of the 14th century, it was built to combine comfortable living quarters with an apparent display of formidable defences. One of the most exciting aspects about the castle is that it was not constructed in a series of stages but completed in one style by the infamous Sir Edward Dallingridge. Although Bodiam has been restored, it has remained largely unaltered throughout its history and has been a picturesque moated ruin since the 17th century.

Introduction: This resource pack provides information for teachers visiting with groups on both a self-led or an activitystructured day to Bodiam Castle. Given within this pack is information about the site as well as the history of the castle, background knowledge about aspects of medieval life, as well as worksheets available for use during the visit. This pack is aimed at KS1, 2, and 3. The aim is to help teachers prepare their pupils for the enjoyment of a visit to Bodiam, and to leave the site more able to understand the history of the castle as well as the people who lived within it.

Before you visit: We do ask that you book your visit in advance. This guarantees that everything will be ready for us to welcome your group on the day. This also allows visiting schools a discounted admission price, as well as free and reserved coach parking. To book, please contact 01580 831 324 or [email protected].

The easiest way to visit as a school is by being a member of the National Trust. More often than not, this is cheaper than the admission cost for your visit, and allows your school free admission to any NT properties for the whole year. For more information, please contact membership on 0844 800 1895.

If you require a copy of our risk assessment, please let a member of the Learning Team know.

We hope you have a lovely visit, and that this pack enables your group to partake in this wonderful learning opportunity at Bodiam Castle.  



 

How to Have a Fantastic Visit! We really want you to enjoy your visit to Bodiam Castle. ·

If your school has EGM (Educational Group Membership), please bring your membership card with you for the visit; you may be charged for admission without it.

·

Please bring your own first aid kit.

 Remember, we are an outdoors site so dress for the weather! A few things to note on arrival: ·

Do take care in the car park, particularly when disembarking your vehicle.

·

Be sure to make use of the toilets in the car park as they are the only ones on site. There are NO toilets at the Castle.

·

If you have booked the function room, please pay for it separately at the Wharf Tearooms.

·

The group leader should make their way to Castle Cottage or the ticket office (during winter months) to register numbers and complete payment.

To help make your day run smoothly: Bodiam staff and volunteers are not responsible for supervising or managing the behaviour of pupils. Please fully brief all accompanying adults prior to your visit so they understand their role and the itinerary for the day. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Take care near water, when climbing steps in the Castle and when near open windows in the Castle. Be aware of the mobility buggy which moves around the site. Emergency Situations ·

All group members should be aware of the location of the meeting point which will be announced at the beginning of the visit.

·

Please bring a register of all children and adults in your party. In the event of a fire or other emergency, please follow the instructions of Bodiam staff and volunteers.

First Aid

 

·

Teachers are responsible for administering First Aid to their pupils. Any accidents must be reported to a member of Bodiam staff and logged accordingly.

·

Children with medical requirements should be in the group with the adult who has the necessary medication and expertise.



 

A History of Bodiam Castle Bodiam Castle was built by Sir Edward Dallingridge, an infamous knight during the time of King Richard II. Sir Edward made his fortune in government and in France during a period of the Hundred Years War when English noblemen campaigned against the French by method of ransoming and the pillaging of French lands. After he returned to England with his fortune in 1385, Sir Edward decided to build a picturesque castle on the lands he gained from his marriage to Lady Elizabeth Wardeux (who’s family owned Bodiam). He was granted special permission to fortify his lands by the King himself, in a document called a ‘License to Crenellate.’ Sir Edward chose a spot close to the River Rother, to best protect his lands against the threat of the invading French. While displaying many defensive features on the outside, the castle interior contained many modern-day luxuries such as ample numbers of toilets and fireplaces. Thus, it was as much of a stately home as it was a fortress.

Bodiam Castle was lived in by only a few generations of Dallingridges, before it was inherited by another family. During the Civil War, Bodiam had a royalist owner who unfortunately had to sell off not only furnishings, but the castle as well, to pay fines for supporting King Charles.

Because there are so few documentary sources for the history of the castle, it is difficult after this point in history to work out when the castle began to fall into disrepair or when it ceased to be used as a residence by its owners. There is no documentary evidence to suggest that the building was altered or adapted and there are no recognisable alterations to the fabric. By the 18th century the castle was observed by tourists as being a romantic ‘ivy-clad’ ruin.

In the early 1900s, Lord Curzon, former Viceroy of India and a very wealthy aristocrat, saw Bodiam Castle and decided to purchase it for himself. Curzon was instrumental in repairing and conserving the castle, and even drained the moat to uncover the footings for the original bridge. In his will, Curzon gave Bodiam to the National Trust in order to further conservation work and save the castle for generations to come. The National Trust has owned Bodiam Castle since 1926, and has since undertaken major repair work to preserve the castle you see today.

 



 



Bi rth of  Chri s t

0

1066

Ba ttl e of Ha s tings

871

Al fred the  Grea t crowned

1385

1509

Bodiam Castle built

1215

Ma gna  Ca rta s i gned

Charles I  beheaded

1649

1666

Henry VIII The Great Fire  of London crowned

Queen  Victoria crowned

2012 London  Ol ympi cs

1939

Worl d Wa r II begi ns

1837

Timeline of British History

 

 

The Exterior of the Castle The first impression of Bodiam Castle is one of great strength and symmetry. A compact building, it is defended by a broad, water-filled moat, and, reflected in it, a defensive arrangement of towers linked by curtain walls. At the corners are circular drum-towers, and in-between are rectangular towers. The moat is larger than practical, as the intention was for the entire castle to show its reflection on a sunny day.

The Bridge The present wooden bridge is modern. The long section towards the bank of the moat would have been positioned at a right angle from the octagon in the middle (you can still see where it would have originated from on the right-hand side by the stone supporting wall on the embankment). The shorter section from the octagon would have possibly been a drawbridge.

The Barbican This was built as a two-storey gatehouse to give additional defences to the front of the castle. It would have included machicolations as well as a portcullis. From here, look out for the arrow slits on the front of the castle.

The Gatehouse The gatehouse is on three levels. In the middle of the façade is Sir Edward’s crest, a tilting helm with a unicorn’s head. Below this are three coat-of-arms: of Dallingridge’s in the centre, with Lady Dallingridge’s family is on the left, and the Radynden family (whom Sir Edward inherited a great estate from) on the right. Look out for then gun loops, machicolations, and the graffiti. The doors were put in during the early 1800s, while the portcullis above is original to the building of the castle. Just inside, two adjoining rooms can be found. The second room still shows the murder holes, located in the ceiling. Both rooms would have had portcullises on either side.

 



 

The Interior of the Castle In contrast to the exterior, the interior of the castle is a ruin, as the domestic buildings which ranged around the central courtyard have been largely dismantled. Despite this, it is clear that rooms were arranged in suites, including halls, living-rooms, and bed chambers., incorporating the towers, and intended for the various groups of people within the castle, including the lord and his family’s residence; chambers for important guests and officers of the lord’s household; servants quarters and rooms for a military garrison.

The Chapel The chapel has a large pointed window which can be easily seen from most of the castle, and would have been stained glass. The floor in the lower section would have been beautiful glazed tiles. The Lord and Lady Dallingridge would have had their own viewing balcony from their private rooms, still visible on the right-hand side.

Lord and Lady’s Apartments Next to the chapel would have been the Dallingridge’s private rooms. On this side of the castle, there are many windows and fireplaces (direct opposite to the other side)., which signifies who lived here. Look out for the window seats under the double windows.

The Great Hall The Great Hall occupies the eastern part of the south range. It had a tall ceiling, which would have been wood, and would have had a decorative screen between this and the kitchen. At one end would have been the top table, where Sir Edward would have entertained his guests. Either side of this, running parallel to the walls, would have been long tables for the guests to sit. On the walls, which would have been whitewashed, tapestries were. There would heave also been a minstrel's gallery above the triple doors to the kitchen.

The Kitchen The three pointed doorways in the west side of the screen passage gave access to the Buttery and the Pantry, as well as to a passage leading to the kitchen. Like the Great Hall, the kitchen was two storeys high. The kitchen has two magnificent fireplaces, and the one on the north wall even has a bread oven.

The Well The northern door of the kitchen leads down into the castle well. It was discovered and dug out by Lord Curzon, and is approximately 11 feet deep. Above, close to the top of the tower, was the dovecote. This contained about 300 nesting boxes.

 

10 

 

The Retainers’ Hall On the west side of the castle (next to the kitchen) is the retainers’ hall. This is where the servants of the household would have slept. Note that there are only a few windows and no fireplaces (the two small holes at the bottom of the north wall let in heat from the fireplace on the other side). Next to this was the retainers’ kitchen.

The Garrison (?) The L– shaped room next to the retainers’ kitchen has very little windows and fireplaces. Many researchers have guessed that this room had been the garrison and stables. This very well could have been, but there has yet to be any archaeological evidence to support this idea.

Features of the castle:

 

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Background Information Knights and War How to become a Knight – providing you were of noble birth, and a boy! Step 1. Page – a boy was sent away to live in a noble’s household to work as a page; his main job was to run errands. He would also develop other skills such as reading, hunting and riding. Tilting at the quintain was a game which taught children how to joust, and improve their riding skills. (Quintain = a post with a rotating cross-bar; on one end of the bar was a shield, on the other end a sandbag which would swing round and hit an unskilful rider.) A page also had to learn how to behave in polite company:

‘Take no seat, but be ready to stand until you are asked to sit. Keep your hands and feet at rest; do not claw your flesh or lean against a post, in the presence of your lord…Be respectful to your lord always when you answer; otherwise, stand as still as a stone, unless he speaks to you.’ (The Babees Book’ 1475). Step 2. Squire – at the age of 14 the Page became a Squire, and the training became more rigorous, including care of armour and horses, dressing and undressing the Knight, and making his bed. Step 3. Knight – at 21 the Squire was ready to become a Knight. The quickest way was to be made a Knight in the field of battle; otherwise it involved a long ceremony: A lock of your hair was cut off to show devotion to God. A bath was taken as a sign you were cleansed of sin. Dressed in white tunic to show pure in mind and body. Red robe put over white tunic; representing the blood you are willing to shed. During the night you kept a lonely vigil in front of the church altar; remained standing or kneeling for 10 hours. Morning – attended a church service; your sword would be blessed, and you would take the vow of chivalry. You would leave the church in procession and go to the place where you would be given your armour and sword.

 

12 

 

War In 1337 war broke out between France and England because Edward III claimed that he had the right to be King of France. The French disagreed with this! Fighting started in 1340 and continued on and off until 1453. Two early battles won by the English were Crecy (1336) and Poitiers (1356). As the war dragged on things became more brutal. Professional soldiers formed themselves into ‘companies’ and made a living from robbery and violence. They didn’t care if the country they were attacking was at war or not! Henry V began the war again with a significant victory at Agincourt in 1415. After this he was accepted as heir to the French throne. Here is a description of the Battle of Crecy, by Sir John Froissart:

‘There were about 15,000 (French) crossbowmen…the sun shone very brightly, but the French had it shining in their faces. The crossbowmen got themselves roughly in order and approached the English. They shouted loudly, to frighten the English, but the English paid no attention to it. They hooted twice more and advanced further, then began to shoot. The English archers took one step forward and shot their arrows with such force and speed that it looked as if it were snowing. These arrows cut through armour and cut the strings of the crossbows. As the crossbowmen turned round and retreated, the English carried on shooting and some of their arrows fell on the French knights, driving them into the crossbowmen, causing great confusion.’ Captured longbowmen often had their first and second fingers cut off by the enemy so that they would never fire arrows again. It has been suggested that the V-sign began as a gesture of defiance by archers to show that their fingers were intact. A 14th century warhorse cost £100, roughly equal to the value of a tank in 1939. Ideally a Knight needed 4 horses. HERALDRY From the 14th century Knights fought battles wearing suits of armour. It was difficult to recognise anybody, so different designs were painted on the Knight’s shields. Each Knight had his own personal design, called arms. Heralds had the job of making sure everybody wore their arms; they gave each part of the shield a name and decided what signs each Knight would carry, hence ‘heraldic’ designs and ‘heraldry’. Heraldic designs were also displayed on a coat worn over armour, hence ‘coat of arms’. A Knight could pass his arms onto his son, who would add other signs, making the design more complicated. A design on a shield could use up to five colours: purple, red, blue, black and green. Also gold and silver (metals) could be used. The simple rule was that you could not put metal on metal or colour on colour.

 

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Archery                            

CROSSBOWS Crossbow No.1: a simple yew lathe (bow) bent (spanned) by hand. The yew is crafted in the traditional way of the longbow. In order to load this crossbow the archer placed both feet either side of the lathe where it joins the stock, and pulled the string until it engaged the horn nut; the bolt was then placed in the bolt channel and was ready to fire. This type of crossbow was cheap to produce and therefore very popular throughout the Middle Ages. They were, however, not very powerful and could prove unreliable. Draw weight = 100lbs. Range = 180 – 200yds. Effective Range = 50 – 60yds. Crossbow No. 2: uses the Asiatic method of manufacture for the lathe i.e. Horn strips glued along a central core of timber, with a backing of sinew or raw hide to add power. Used by the military and for hunting. Draw weight = so high that a crank was used to draw the bow. Crossbow No. 3: a mid 15th century military bow with the lathe made from steel. This type of bow, with a few refinements, was still in use during the First World War. Draw weight = 1200 lbs (would have been bent by mechanical means). Range = a 16th century bow, fired in 1901, sent a bolt across the Menai Straits, a distance of 450yds.

 

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LONGBOWS The longbows are made of yew. Bows with horn tips (nocks) represent the last phase of longbows. Draw weight = 70 – 150lbs. Range = over 300yds. CROSSBOWS v. LONGBOWS

 Crossbows had a short range, until the advent of steel lathes.  Crossbows were slow to reload. Crossbow rate of fire = 4-8 arrows per minute. Longbow rate of fire = 15-18 arrows per minute.

 Crossbows were heavy and cumbersome; more liable to damage.  Longbow was very simple.; if it broke it could be easily and rapidly replaced. Crossbow required lengthy and expensive repairs.  Some armies employed a group of 3-4 men to a pair of crossbows; one would fire and the others would load. Crossbows caused more damage because of their heavier projectile.

BOLT AND ARROW HEADS 1&2

Arrow heads in general use.

3

Common arrowhead of the middle ages.

4

‘Swallow-tail’; a bolt head used for hunting and warfare. The damage inflicted on horses can be easily imagined.

5

Bolt head

6

‘Flesh Tearer’; a common design throughout wherever bows were used as a weapon of war. Believed to be an anti-personnel missile.

 

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Building a Castle It is thought that Bodiam Castle took approximately 5-7 years to build. The building process was slow and was dependent on the seasons, available manpower, and transport. The following gives some idea of the stages in which Bodiam was built.

A Master Engineer would have been hired to design the castle and supervise work once building began. At Bodiam the identity of the engineer is unknown.

When choosing the site for the castle many factors would have been taken into consideration e.g. location of the nearest quarry; nearest waterway for transporting stone (water cartage was cheaper and easier than land); a ready supply of labourers; nearest supply of timber and lead.

The Master Engineer began hiring workmen while the plans were still being drawn up. Workers and craftsmen such as quarries, stone masons, mortar makers, carpenters, blacksmiths, diggers, and various labourers would come from far afield. The Master Engineer also had to order a large number of tools, made of iron of which there was a ready supply in the Weald.

In a hostile area, carpenters would immediately build a palisade to protect the workmen.

Diggers would begin to shape the slope of the hill into a platform, which would later contain the moat. The ground contours required that the greater part of the eastern and southern banks of the moat should be artificial. On the north the ground sloped naturally to the edge of the moat. On the west the excavated area had to be cut into the hill, leaving a steep bank.

Construction would begin with the master engineer marking off the location of all the principle walls and towers on site. Deep foundations would be dug; these would reduce the risk of uneven settlement and cracking.

Bodiam was built from Wadhurst stone. The approximate weight of stone used in building the outer wall, excluding the towers, was 8,795 tons. For most of the way this had to be transported by road, on heavy ox carts. Roads would have been little more than deeply rutted tracks and ox carts slow, heavy and cumbersome. Each cart is thought to have carried about three tons of stone and taken two days to cover the twenty mile return journey between Wadhurst and Bodiam.    

 

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Once the plan had been drawn out on site work began in the curtain wall. The inner and outer faces were constructed first, then, when a height of 3 or 4 feet had been reached, the space between was filled with rubble. Master Masons continually checked the vertical and horizontal accuracy of the walls. As the height of the walls increased, wooden scaffolding was required to support both workers and materials. The poles were lashed together and secured to the wall by horizontal pieces set into holes (putlog holes) intentionally left between the stones. Heavy material would be dragged or carried up ramps. Hoists and pulleys were also erected to lift lighter materials and tools.

In winter construction was halted because low temperatures could freeze and crack the new mortar. After protecting the tops of the unfinished walls with a covering of straw and dung, many of the workers would return to their homes. Work would begin again the following March. Towers were capped with a flat roof, the beams being set into a groove around the inside edge of the tower walk. The finished roof would be covered with lead sheets or tiles. Once the roof was sealed against rain, the rooms below were finished. Interior walls were covered with a coat of plaster and either painted, or covered with hangings. Floors would be covered with reeds and sweet smelling herbs. Once the curtain wall and gatehouse had been completed, work could start on the interior buildings; it is likely that Sir Edward’s quarters were the first to be completed. Many medieval castles were white-washed which added to the sense of power and grandeur. It is unknown whether Bodiam was white-washed or not. A Selection of building tools:    

 

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Food Most food was probably boiled in a big cauldron or pot. Soups and stews were the norm, with roast foods being reserved for feast days. Meal times in a manor house or castle: 6am Breakfast bread, ale or wine. 1pm Dinner

beef, pork, mutton, chicken, eggs, venison, bread, wine or ale.

6pm Supper

meat, bread and ale or wine.

i. Dairy Products (‘white meats’): cows, sheep and goats milk were used. The wealthy thought milk fit only for children, the old and the ill, although they did eat cream. Cheese varied and the poor ate skimmilk cheese, which was sometimes so hard it had to be soaked and beaten with a hammer first. It stored well and could be kept for the winter. Spermyse, ‘green cheese’, was a soft cheese made by the peasants in summer. Butter was thought too unwholesome for grown men to eat after midday, but children could eat it at supper. ii. Bread: this was everyone’s staple food. The type of bread ate depended on how rich a person was. Wheat made the whitest, finest bread and only grew on good soil. Only the lord of the manor could afford to have his land dug over and manured for it. To make bread go further, weed seeds were nearly always included with the grain. If the harvest was bad, peas, beans and even acorns were added. iii. Meat – not many people could afford meat. Livestock had to be fed, which was expensive, especially in winter. In winter many of the animals were killed and eaten. Some of the meat would have been salted to keep it fresh and some was smoked using oak bark. A lot of meat was chopped up and heavily spiced to disguise its putrid flavour! Pigs were cheaper to look after as they could find their own food in the woods. Pork was salted or smoked and provided the poor man’s meat. The poor also ate hares, rabbits, chickens, small birds and game birds. iv. Fish: this was a very important food. Herrings were pickled or salted to preserve them so that people living inland could eat them; they also ate dried cod, called stockfish, often as hard as a board. Sauces and herbs were added when cooking salted fish.

Salt = sea salt, imported from France. Also called ‘greensalt’ because it often contained sea-weed! The wealthy had a wider choice and ate plaice, haddock and mackerel. Whale, sturgeon and porpoise were known as the ‘royal’ fish. Shellfish such as oysters and whelks were popular in the East End of London. Strangely puffins and barnacle geese were considered fish as they lived at sea and so were beavers as they had fish’s tails!  

v. Vegetables and Fruit: the main vegetables were onions, leeks, garlic, red or green cabbage, turnips and carrots; there were no potatoes. Salad vegetables were also eaten, together with flowers such as primroses, violets and borage. Pottage was a kind of soup-stew and was the daily food for rich and poor. Some pottages were thick (running) others were even thicker, so thick they could almost be sliced (stondyng). The poor ate pease pottage which was thin and runny. Although some pottages had meat in them, the commonest were made from vegetables.  

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What Makes a Castle a Castle?           P___________________

M__________________

W___________

B___________________

M_______________________ G_________________    

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Gunloop

Murder Holes

Well

Portcullis

Machicolations

Bread Oven

   

What did the soldiers throw down the Murder Holes?

How many round towers are there?

Why do the stairs go around in a spiral?

Imagine you are a knight who has orders to attack the Castle. Where would you attack it from?

If there was no bridge, how would you get across the moat?

I would like to learn more about…

The best thing I learnt today was:

 

20 

 

 

21 

 

Label the Castle:

 

22 

 

I-Spy around the Castle    

How many of these things can you see in, on and around the castle?            

                                       

Turn over for two Bonus challenges!

               

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BONUS CHALLENGE ONE

 

Find these markings.

 

What are they?

                       

BONUS CHALLENGE TWO

 

Where was this photograph taken from?

                                     

Answer to Bonus Challenge One… …They are stonemasons’ marks. A stonemason was a highly skilled craftsman, who cut, shaped and built with stone. There would often be more than one stonemason working on a building, so you would have to leave marks on the bits that you did. This was important if you wanted to get paid correctly and if you wanted people to see how great your work was!

 

Answer to Bonus Challenge Two…

 

…From the ruined barbican gatehouse.

 

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To Buy or Not to Buy? Imagine you are an estate agent. Your challenge is to sell Bodiam Castle for the highest price possible. You need to produce two One as if you were selling the castle today, the other as if you were selling the castle in 1385. Gather as much information as you can: take lots of photographs, make sketches, annotate (add labels) to the castle plan and answer the following questions. Did Sir Edward have planning permission for his Castle? Did planning permission exist in 1385? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How did people build a castle 600 years ago? Remember there was no electricity, no running water, no

modern transport or machines.

 

What resources were needed? Where would

What labour was needed? Where would you

you get these from?

get it from?

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Why was the castle built here – what was so great about the location? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What are put lug holes? ___________________________________________________________________________________ How deep is the moat? ____________________________________________________________________________________ How wide is the moat? ____________________________________________________________________________________ Rate the castle’s features. Think about how good they are: for defence making the castle a comfortable, attractive place to live Rate the features 1-5 for each category (1 being top and 5 bottom).

Feature

Defence

Comfort/ Attractive

Notes

Bridge in 1385 Bridge Today Arrow slits Gun loops Fireplaces Drawbridges Moat Well Spiral Stairs Chapel window Garderobes Position of Castle CASTLE

150ft x 135ft (45m x 41m)

TOWERS

60ft (18m) high from surface of water

WALLS

40ft (12m) high from surface of water

WALL THICKNESS

6ft (1.8m)

MOAT

Dimensions:

 

MATERIAL

Ashwar Stone

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Attack and Defend In 1385 King Richard II gave Sir Edward Dallingridge permission to build Bodiam Castle to protect his land from the King’s enemies. Which country was England at war with? What was the name of the war? Use the drawings on the next page to help you find Bodiam’s defensive features.    

Feature

How many?

How did they help defend the Castle?

Machicolations Portcullis Murder Holes Moat Round Towers Gunloops Arrow Slits Wooden Door Battlements Any more?

       

 

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Go up the staircase on the left, inside the gatehouse. Take care, these stairs twist around in a spiral. Why do you think they were built like this? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why do you think the well was inside the castle walls? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why do you think the Dove Cott was important if the castle was under attack? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Stand up on the Battlements. Describe the field of view from the battlements. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The original bridge was not straight. Why do you think it came from the side? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now imagine you are a knight with orders to attack the Castle. Walk around the outside of the Castle and look out for weak points. Estimate: the thickness of the walls ____________ the height of the castle ___________ How many times higher is the castle than your house or school? ___________ The Moat: how easily could you get rid of this threat? _______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Where would you choose to attack? How would you attack? Draw diagrams to explain your answer.

 

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Battle Bodiam Activity Lesson Content Starter Scenario: Bodiam Castle was built in 1385, during the time of the Hundred Years War. There was a genuine threat of invasion form the French up the River Rother, however, the Castle was never actually attacked. What if it had been? What if the French had invaded England and the Castle had been besieged? Activity Briefing. Main Activity Divide your class into two groups (defenders and attackers) and assign roles as suggested in the table below. Pupils have 20-25 minutes to draw up a battle plan. They will need to get their army organised and assign specific tasks to make maximum use of their time. Use the key questions to help. Plenary Groups describe their battle experience to each other. This could be done as a class or in smaller groups. Each side should assess the effectiveness of their opposers battle strategies, highlighting strengths and weaknesses. An impartial person should then decide who would have won. Roles:  

 

DEFENDERS – THE ENGLISH

ATTACKERS - THE FRENCH

Sir Edward Squire Knights Foot Soldiers Archers Murder Hole servants Lady Elisabeth Ladies in Waiting Priest Archivist Cooks Fire Servants General Servants

Knights Squires and Pages Archers Foot Soldiers Armourers Scouts Grooms Blacksmith Priest Surgeon Cooks Servants 29 

 

Questions:  

DEFENDERS Who would be in charge?

ATTACKERS How would you approach the Castle without being seen?

What would you expect the French to do first? Where would you position yourselves? What would you do first? Would you negotiate first or just start a fight? Who would do what? What are the English likely to do first? Would you bring villagers into the castle? Why? Who would you send to fight first? How long would you expect the battle to last? How long could you keep fighting for? What would your servants do? Would you be able to understand the English? Would you be able to understand the French? How many men do you think you would loose? What if they broke into the castle? If you got inside, where would you go first? What might happen to Sir Edward after the attack? What would you do if Sir Edward was still alive?    

Success Criteria Children will recognise the key features that define a castle. They will have looked at the castle as a functioning, living building rather than a relic from the past. They will have been introduced to a key period in Medieval history.

 

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Was Bodiam built as a castle or a country home? Country Home (Comfort

Castle (Defence)  

 

and Display)  

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