Medieval castles served as both home and fortress to the monarchs and nobles that built them. Centuries later, they stand as reminders of an era long gone. Whether your interest in castles is historic or romantic, you're sure to find something to pique your interest in these sites.
"Greetings traveler. Before you looms a stone castle, built in Britain during the 1300s. ... Castle life endured for centuries until gunpowder overpowered armor and stone. Now we know castles only as museums or ruins. But, as you'll see, castle dwellers still haunt these halls. As you explore, click on them to learn their secrets." In addition to the virtual castle tour for elementary and middle-schoolers (follow Marcus the mouse to move from room to room), there are two printable maze activities (click on Rescue at the Castle.)
"Castles have a timelessness that is awe-inspiring. That they have endured centuries of warfare and the effects of weather is a testimony to the creativity and power of their medieval owners. How many of us will have such long-lasting success?" ponders castle enthusiast Lise Hull. To explore her site, start with the Castle Learning Center, where you'll find dozens of topics to peruse, including Building a Castle, Birdseye Views, Dungeons, and Life in a Castle. Other memorable sections are Castle of the Month, Photo Gallery, and Castle Ghosts (an alphabetic listing.)
Castles on the Web is a directory of hundreds of castle sites, organized by subject. Each site listing is annotated and includes a rating (from one to ten) created by visitors. Castles for Kids, Castle Collections and Medieval Studies are just a few of the topics covered. In addition to the site listings, Castles on the Web features a Photo Archive, Castle Glossary, a discussion board (Castle Quest) and free electronic castle postcards.
This site is marvelous fun and my pick of the day. "The home page has an aerial view of the castle. Clicking on a part of the view takes you to that part of the castle. You will find out about the people that lived there and what they did. Sometimes there will also be more information about an aspect of castle life, a game to play or puzzle to solve, or something YOU can do to add to the fun of Kids' Castle." Enjoy!
As a companion to the PBS television show that originally aired in 2000, Medieval Siege tackles the subject of medieval warfare in general, and the powerful trebuchet (a huge wooden catapult) in particular. The interview with British military historian Richard Holmes offers excellent insight into everyday castle life, covering topics such as the cleanliness and castle entertainment. And to top it all off, you can "build your own virtual trebuchet and fire giant sandstone balls at a castle wall" in the Hot Science activity "Destroy the Castle."
Buy Castles Printable for $2.00
or try a FREE trial of the Printables ClubThe following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
Castle BuilderCastles for Kids |
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