Some of the greatest medieval castles survive only as earthworks and in pictures and written accounts of the period because they were made of timber. Timber castles were built throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, and were not, as is often assumed, temporary and second-rate, but a common-form of fortified structure. The authors of this book, who have excavated the timber castle at Hen Domen in Wales, bring together examples and illustrations from all over Europe, as well as parallels from further afield, and include a gazetteer with details of published excavated sites in UK and Ireland. The authors consider the origins of castles, and of the relationship between examples in timber and in stone, demonstrating the diversity of timber castles and their architectural importance.

Higham, Robert,Barker, Philip