Parts of a Medieval Castle – The Keep

The Role of the Keep in a Castle During the Middle Ages

May 11, 2009

The keep was the strongest part of a castle and usually the last to fall in an attack.

The keep in a medieval castle was a square structure, designed to be the strongest part of the building and the one to which its inhabitants could retreat to in the event of an attack.

The Earliest Forms of Castle Keeps

Early in the medieval period, the word ‘keep’ actually meant castle and it was only from around the eleventh century that European castle builders began to construct a castle keep as a strong square building which stood at the centre of the rest of the castle buildings.

The keep was usually the tallest of the buildings around it and because it was designed to be the strongest building in the castle, it could hold the valuables and personnel of the castle and could be guarded even when the rest of the castle had fallen to attack or siege. The word ‘keep’ meaning to protect or keep safe, explains the origins of this part of the castle, as a place to safeguard precious items and shelter the castle’s inhabitants.

The Castle Keep

Norman castles were particularly famous for having strong square keeps. Robert of Belleme, born in 1052, was the architect of William the Conqueror, who designed several notable castles with keeps, including the Tower of London in England.

These keeps were two to four storeys high, depending on the resources available and the terrain upon which the castle stood. The more important rooms were towards the top of the building, the furthest from attack, and most of the living accommodation for the owners was within the keep.

Originally, a square shape was believed to be the strongest design for a keep, however, it gradually became clear that the corners of a square keep were more vulnerable under attack, for example, when a battering ram was used and designs gradually changed to a round (cylindrical) shape, such as at Pembroke Castle in Wales, which has an eighty foot tall keep, with sixteen foot thick walls.

A round keep also had the advantage of having a 365 degree viewpoint for castle guards, with no hidden areas, which occurred on a square keep with corners which hid some areas from view.

The Castle Keep During A Siege

The keep was a vital part of a castle’s defence during a siege. It would contain the food, water and arms needed to keep the castle running whilst it was under attack. The keep would be protected at all costs, as once this had fallen under attack, there was nothing left to fight for.

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The copyright of the article Parts of a Medieval Castle – The Keep in Medieval History is owned by Rachel Bellerby. Permission to republish Parts of a Medieval Castle – The Keep in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.