The term lowland castle or plains castle () describes a type of

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

that is situated on a

lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of a ...

plain In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and ...

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

floor, as opposed to one built on higher ground such as a hill spur. The classification is extensively used in Germany where about 34 percent of all castles are of the lowland type.Krahe, pp. 21-23 (2002) Because lowland castles do not have the defensive advantage of a site on higher ground, sites are chosen that are easy to defend, taking advantage, for example, of rivers, islands in lakes or marshes. Where such natural obstacles do not exist, artificially similar obstacles take on added significance. These include water-filled or dry

moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...

s, ramparts,

palisade A palisade, sometimes called a stakewall or a paling, is typically a row of closely placed, high vertical standing tree trunks or wooden or iron stakes used as a fence for enclosure or as a defensive wall. Palisades can form a stockade. Etymo ...

s and curtain walls. In order to increase the height of the castle above the surrounding terrain, artificial earth mounds may be built (such as

motte A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or Bailey (castle), bailey, surrounded by a protective Rampart (fortificati ...

s), and fortified towers also fulfil this purpose. Castles of the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start o ...

(including Slavic and Saxon castles) often had a narrow, deep ditch and high and steep earth ramparts. Lowland castles are naturally found on plains such as the North German Plain or in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, but they may also be encountered occasionally in highlands, for example in a valley as a so-called island castle () on an island in a river (e.g.

Pfalzgrafenstein Castle Pfalzgrafenstein Castle (), also known as the Pfalz, is a toll castle situated on Falkenau island in the Rhine River, adjacent to Kaub, Germany. First established in 1326/27 by Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor, King Ludwig IV of Bavaria, it served ...

Types

Water castle A water castle, sometimes water-castle, is a castle which incorporates a natural or artificial body of water into its defences.Forde-Johnston (1979), p. 163. It can be entirely surrounded by water-filled moats (moated castle) or natural waterbo ...

(''Wasserburg''): Overarching term for all castle types that use water as a defensive obstacle. Depending on their topographic situation these castles may be subdivided into (original German terms in brackets): * River castles (''Flussburg''): a castle erected on a river bank. As a rule, they are also surrounded by moats filled with water supplied by the river. * Shore castle (''Uferburg''): castle by a lake or the sea. Like river castles, shore castles usually have artificial ditches (moats) with a link to the waterbody. * Island castle (''Inselburg''): castle on a natural, more rarely on an artificial, island in a river or lake. * Marsh castle (''Sumpfburg''): castle in marshy or

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and musk ...

gy terrain. It uses the natural inaccessibility of the terrain to its defensive advantage. * Valley castle (''Talburg''): Castle on a valley bottom. A special variation are so-called ''Talsperren'' ("valley barriers"), where fortifications in the valley are linked to a hillside or hilltop castle so that this type consists of a combination of a lowland castle and a

hill castle A hill castle or mountain castle is a castle built on a natural feature that stands above the surrounding terrain. It is a term derived from the German ''Höhenburg'' used in categorising castle sites by their topographical location. Hill castles a ...

. An example are the Castles of Bellinzona. Sub-types according to function: * Bridge castle (''Brückenburg''): a castle built to watch over and protect a river crossing. * Harbour castle (''Hafenburg''): a castle that is built to protect a

harbour A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be Mooring, moored. The t ...

Examples

* Caerlaverock Castle, water castle with triangular plan, Scotland * Eilean Donan Castle, restored island castle, Scotland *

Warwick Castle Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William I of England, William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a meander of the River Avon, Warwic ...

, river castle, England * Château de Sully-sur-Loire, water castle in the Loire Valley, France * Beersel Castle, Late Middle Ages brick castle, Belgium * Nassenfels Castle, castle on the site of a Roman

castellum A ''castellum'' in Latin is usually: * a small Roman fortlet or tower,C. Julius Caesar, Gallic War; 2,30 a diminutive of (' military camp'), often used as a watchtower or signal station like on Hadrian's Wall. It is distinct from a , which ...

, Germany * Groß Raden, Early Middle Ages Slavic island castle, Germany *

Dankwarderode Castle Dankwarderode Castle () on the ''Burgplatz'' ("castle square") in Braunschweig (Brunswick) is a Saxon lowland castle. It was the residence of the Brunswick dukes for centuries and, today, is part of the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum. Constructio ...

, state castle ('' Landesburg'') of the Brunswick dukes, Germany *

Malbork Castle The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork, commonly known as Malbork Castle (; ), is a Brick Gothic castle complex located in the town of Malbork, Poland, built in the 13th and significantly expanded in the 14th century. It is the largest cast ...

, seat of the

Teutonic Knights The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...

and greatest brick building in Europe, Poland * Smederevo Fortress, river castle, largest plains fortress in Europe, Serbia

References

Sources

* Böhme, Horst Wolfgang; Friedrich, Reinhard and Schock-Werner, Barbara (ed.) (2004). ''Wörterbuch der Burgen, Schlösser und Festungen''. Reclam, Stuttgart, p. 156, * Krahe, Friedrich-Wilhelm (2002). ''Burgen und Wohntürme des deutschen Mittelalters''. Vol. 1, Thorbecke, Stuttgart, 2002, pp. 21–23, , {{Authority control Castles by type