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New: Article on the Medieval minsters of Beverley, Rippon and York, submitted by Stuart Sharp.

We now have an RSS feed so you can stay up to date with the latest news here.

We've added lots more images. Check out the new photos on our Roman history site, such as Hadrian's Wall. Great new photos of Stonehenge and Avebury are on megalithic sites

Castles

Our castles pictures and notes have been updated with Farleigh Hungerford Castle. A full list of the historical galleries we have on line is also available now.

Military needs

Corbridge Roman Village - Showing the Structure of the Streets

Chesters Roman Fort - Interior LayoutMilitary technology was a dominant force in the shaping of cities in both Roman and medieval periods. A Roman military innovation was the organization of the army into an institution that served as a mobile building force. The army needed defensive fortification and a street pattern that would allowing swift troop movement but impede invaders. When soldiers settled in colonized territories they used their surveying and construction skills to build towns, typically on the military grid model. For example, army surveyors laid out Tigris, North Africa, on military camp lines (Chant & Goodman, 1999: p88).

A section of wall at Prudhoe castle

Warkworth Castle - Imposing Medieval Wall StructureMedieval cities were even more dominated by military needs. Castles, gates and fortified city walls are the notable secular medieval buildings. Fortifications altered to address innovations in tactics, weapons and siege techniques. The form of walls and castles was shaped directly by military technology. Stone city walls limited outward urban expansion, hence the tendency for buildings to be closely crowded together and to be built high.

These images give an example of some of the lengths medieval architects went to, in order that their castles be properly defended

Belsay Castle - The Main Entrance Belsay Castle - Main Tower Warkworth Castle - Gatehouse and wall section Prudhoe Castle - Main Entrance and Gatehouse

References

Events

Etrusia is in the process of compiling a list of national events. If you are organising, supporting, publicising or simply know of an event related to any part of the UK history then let us know and we will add it to our list.

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