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Sources

Where the facts come from

Every factual claim on this site links to its source. This is the full list.

How we checked

Each fact was written alongside its source. Our build script stores the source text and, for every fact, checks that the key words and figures really appear in it. 134 of 134 checks passed when this site was last built (checked 30 Oct 2026). Where we couldn’t read a source, we left the claim out. We quote short phrases only, and never reproduce museum images or the Bayeux Tapestry.

Figures that change

Opening times, entry and visitor notices can change. Facts like these are marked “checked 30 Oct 2026”.

What we leave out

This is a site about the history of motte-and-bailey castles and about spotting and visiting them. It isn’t a visitor guide with live opening times or access advice: check with the site you’re visiting. Where one organisation’s own pages disagree with each other, we show both rather than choose silently.

English Heritage (9)

Historic England (1)

The National Archives (1)

Cadw (3)

Historic Environment Scotland (3)

Encyclopaedia Britannica (3)

The Bayeux Museum (2)

GOV.UK (Department for Education) (1)

When sources disagree

Where sources give different figures, we show all of them, with links, and say how we handle it.

Was the bailey beside the motte, or all round it?

How we handle it: English Heritage’s Castles Through Time says the bailey was alongside the motte; The National Archives and English Heritage’s castle-spotting guide say it surrounded the motte; Britannica Kids puts it at the base. Real castles varied: at Totnes and Duffus the bailey lies on one side. Our drawings show the bailey beside the motte, as at Totnes and Duffus.

When was Totnes Castle founded?

How we handle it: Two English Heritage pages say around 1087; its castle-spotting guide says 1068. We give around 1087 on our timeline (from the Totnes history) and show 1068 here.

How old is the mound at Skipsea?

How we handle it: English Heritage’s Norman Castles page says an Iron Age mound was reused; its castle-spotting guide says recent evidence shows the mound was first built in the Late Stone Age. Both agree the Normans reused an older mound as a motte. We give both.

When was the stone keep at Duffus built?

How we handle it: Historic Environment Scotland’s history says Sir Reginald Cheyne probably built it after about 1270; its visitor page says the stone castle was built in the 1300s; its Statement of Significance says most likely early 14th century. We say late 1200s or early 1300s, and show all three.