Creighton/Castles and Landscapes, 7. Castles and Urbanism

This chapter presents the relationship between castle and town, highlighting the fact that in medieval England, castle-building was predominantly rural. The castles built in urban settlements were mainly of royal origin, reinforcing a link between the monarchy and the towns. However, the construction of private fortified residences within medieval towns in other parts of Europe was well attested. Furthermore, while the period in which castle-towns were founded was relatively short, their impacts on townscapes could be far more enduring, in many cases up to the present.