DKfindout! Castles

What was a castle for: keeping enemies out, ruling the surrounding land, or simply providing an impressive home? In DKfindout! Castles, Philip Steele shows young readers how all of these roles could meet behind the same walls. The result is an illustrated tour through castle design and the people who lived, worked, and fought within these strongholds.

From timber mounds to stone strongholds

Begin with the motte-and-bailey castle, where a keep stood on a raised mound and a defended enclosure held the hall, workshops, stables, and other essentials. The book then follows the move toward stone construction, introducing the defenses that shaped a castle’s layout—from moats and drawbridges to towers and thick walls.

Life inside the walls

A castle was more than a military structure. It could be a ruler’s residence and a center for administration, justice, and regional control. Chapters on feudal society, lords and ladies, castle work, peasant life, animals, food, entertainment, and worship help build a picture of the wider community around it.

Knights, sieges, and castles around the world

Readers can explore castle defenses and besieged strongholds, then turn to knights, weapons, tournaments, armor, and the changing place of castles over time. The scope also reaches beyond familiar European examples, with sections on Moorish, Crusader, and Japanese castles, alongside myths and fantasy castles.

A browsable introduction for curious young readers

Short, clearly signposted topics make it easy to dip into a particular question or follow the subject from construction to daily life. A timeline, glossary, index, and quiz with answers provide useful ways to revisit the material and check what has stuck.

For children interested in medieval history, architecture, or the practical details of life in a castle, this illustrated guide offers plenty to explore—one keep, drawbridge, and feast at a time.