Glossary
motte
The motte was a huge mound which ranged from 8 metres to over 24 metres in height. The sides of the motte were so steep that it would have been impossible to run up them in one go, for added protection a deep ditch called the fosse was dug around the bottom of the motte.
bailey
At the bottom of the motte was the bailey, the bailey varied in size from one to three acres. Inside the bailey, lived the town’s people and the knights. There were many buildings inside the bailey including stables, houses, storehouses, bakeries, kitchens, houses, and quarters for soldiers. The bailey was surrounded by a ditch, called a fosse.
keep
The most important part of the motte and bailey castle was the keep; it was built on top of the motte. The nobles lived in keep in the motte with some of the more important servants. The great hall was the biggest and most crucial room in the keep; the walls were decorated with tapestries and would have at least one fireplace with a chimney.
the town in the bailey
The town in the bailey was where all the servants, knights and towns people lived. The streets of a medieval town were narrow and busy. They were noisy, with the church bells ringing and traders calling out for customers. There were many fast food sellers, selling such things as hot sheep's feet and beef-ribs
the village outside the castle
A village was usually built outside a castle for protection from attackers, the peasants who worked for the lord by farming lived in the village. Life was hard for a medieval peasant and the work was backbreaking. It followed the seasons; ploughing in autumn, sowing in spring, harvesting in August. Work began at dawn, preparing the animals, and it finished at dusk, cleaning them down and putting them back into the stalls.
stockade
The stockade was a wall that went round the motte and the bailey which was made out of thick tree trunks, it was very tall so the attackers couldn't climb over it.
fosse
The fosse was a ditch that went around the bottom of the motte and bailey castle for protection.

model of a Norman motte and bailey castle