A medieval castle was both a protected stronghold and the residence of a lord, evolving from earthwork enclosures and timber constructions to complex stone fortifications with defensive features like crenelated parapets, wall towers, gateways, and moats.
This English Heritage cardboard castle craft video is inspired by Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight and includes these historic fortifications.
Supplies include: 4 identical pieces of cardboard, a large piece of cardboard for the base, 4 cardboard kitchen roll tubes, string, 2 split pins, a sharp pencil, a black marker pen, a ruler, masking tape, a paintbrush, paint in blue, green, brown, and grey, scissors, and a craft knife with board. Make your own flags, coat of arms, and banners for decoration, too.
Then learn more about medieval castles at english-heritage.org.uk. The animation below shares a bit about castle architecture during the Middle Ages—”from early motte and bailey castles in Norman times to the sophisticated structures of the late medieval period“—and their history as “symbols of power and prestige,” that “set the stage for political dramas, wartime stand-offs, and family feuds.”
Plus, there are lots of things to make and do at English-Heritage.org.uk.
• The 13th-century treadmill cranes at Guédelon Castle
• How to draw towns and cities for fantasy maps
• How are medieval stained glass windows made?
• Conserving the King Arthur Tapestry
• What is Magna Carta? These British Library animations explain its 800-year legacy
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