![Trakaifront](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Trakaifront.JPG)
The term lowland castle or plains castle (german: Niederungsburg, Flachlandburg, Tieflandburg) describes a type of
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
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 ...
,
plain
In geography, a plain 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 as plateaus or uplands ...
or
valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...
floor, as opposed to
one built on higher ground such as a
hill spur
A spur is a lateral ridge or tongue of land descending from a hill, mountain or main crest of a ridge. It can also be defined as another hill or mountain range which projects in a lateral direction from a main hill or mountain range.
Examples of ...
. 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, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...
s,
ramparts,
palisade
A palisade, sometimes called a stakewall or a paling, is typically a fence or defensive wall made from iron or wooden stakes, or tree trunks, and used as a defensive structure or enclosure. Palisades can form a stockade.
Etymology
''Palisade' ...
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, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy to ...
s), and
fortified tower
A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and ful ...
s 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, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
(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
The North German Plain or Northern Lowland (german: Norddeutsches Tiefland) is one of the major geographical regions of Germany. It is the German part of the North European Plain. The region is bounded by the coasts of the North Sea and the Balti ...
or in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, but they may also be encountered occasionally in highlands, for example in a valley as a so-called
island castle
The island castle, or insular castle, is a variation of the water castle. It is distinguished by its location on an artificial or natural island. It is a typical lowland castle.
Because the island on which the castle was erected is separated ...
() on an island in a river (e.g.
Pfalzgrafenstein Castle
Pfalzgrafenstein Castle (german: link=no, Burg Pfalzgrafenstein) is a toll castle on the Falkenau island, otherwise known as Pfalz Island in the River Rhine near Kaub, Germany. Known as "the Pfalz", this former stronghold is famous for its pic ...
).
Types
![Burg Calvörde](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Burg_Calv%C3%B6rde.jpg)
*
Water castle
A water castle is a castle whose site is largely defended by water. It can be entirely surrounded by water-filled moats (moated castle) or natural waterbodies such as island castles in a river or offshore. The term comes from European castle st ...
(''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
The island castle, or insular castle, is a variation of the water castle. It is distinguished by its location on an artificial or natural island. It is a typical lowland castle.
Because the island on which the castle was erected is separated ...
(''Inselburg''): castle on a natural, more rarely on an artificial, island in a river or lake.
*
Marsh castle
A marsh or marshland castle (german: Sumpfburg) is a type of lowland castle that is situated in marshy or boggy countryside. It uses the natural inaccessibility of the terrain to its defensive advantage.
In contrast to a moated castle, with a m ...
(''Sumpfburg''): castle in
marshy
A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...
or
boggy 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 ...
. An example are the
Castles of Bellinzona
The Castles of Bellinzona are a group of fortifications located around the town of Bellinzona, the capital of the Swiss canton of Ticino. Situated on the Alpine foothills, the group is composed of fortified walls and three castles named ''Castel ...
.
Sub-types according to function:
*
Bridge castle
A bridge castle (german: Brückenburg) is a type of castle that was built to provide military observation and security for a river crossing. In the narrower sense it refers to castles that are built directly on or next to a bridge. Sometimes, ...
(''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), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
.
Examples
![Groß Raden](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Gro%C3%9F_Raden.jpg)
*
Caerlaverock Castle
Caerlaverock Castle is a moated triangular castle first built in the 13th century. It is located on the southern coast of Scotland, south of Dumfries, on the edge of the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve. Caerlaverock was a stronghold of th ...
, water castle with triangular plan, Scotland
*
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan ( gd, Eilean Donnain) is a small tidal island situated at the confluence of three sea lochs (Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh) in the western Highlands of Scotland, about from the village of Dornie. It is connected to the mainl ...
, restored island castle, Scotland
*
Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a meander of the River Avon. The original wooden motte-an ...
, river castle, England
*
Château de Sully-sur-Loire
The Château de Sully-sur-Loire (; en, Castle of Sully-sur-Loire) is a castle, converted to a palatial seigneurial residence, situated in the commune of Sully-sur-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France.
The château was the seat of the Duke de S ...
, water castle in the Loire Valley, France
*
Beersel Castle
Beersel Castle ( nl, Kasteel van Beersel, french: Château de Beersel) is a medieval castle located in Beersel, Flemish Brabant in Belgium. Originating in 1300 under the auspices of the Duchy of Brabant, the water castle's present configura ...
, 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 should be distinguished from a ...
, Germany
*
Groß Raden
Gross or Groß in German is the correct spelling of the surname under German orthographic rules. In Switzerland, the name is spelled Gross. Some Germans and Austrians also use the spelling with "ss" instead of "ß".
It is a surname of German, Pru ...
, Early Middle Ages Slavic island castle, Germany
*
Dankwarderode Castle
Dankwarderode Castle (german: Burg Dankwarderode) 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 Ulric ...
, state castle (''
Landesburg
A ''Landesburg'' or ''landesherrliche Burg'' ("sovereign castle", "state castle" or "stately castle") was a castle that a territorial lord, such as a prince-bishop, duke or prince built for the defence or expansion of his sovereign estates. ...
'') of the Brunswick dukes, Germany
*
Malbork Castle, seat of the
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
and greatest brick building in Europe, Poland
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