"Motte" Example Sentences
1. The castle stood atop the grassy motte.
2. Around the wooden palisade atop the motte were the remnants of a stone bailey.
3. The motte and bailey castle had withstood many attacks over the centuries.
4. The spiked wooden barricade defended the top of the earthen motte.
5. Medieval warriors could climb the wooden stairs up to the motte quickly.
6. Our tour guide pointed out the flat bailey and the tall grassy motte.
7. The motte kept the wooden castle elevated above attacks.
8. We climbed the steep path up the motte to get a better view of the surroundings.
9. There were rock carvings in the stone walls at the base of the motte.
10. The motte was the only part of the castle that remained intact after centuries of destruction.
11. The thickets around the motte provided additional defense for the castle's inhabitants.
12. They formed earthen mottes overnight to quickly build defensive positions.
13. The motte and bailey castle was one of the earliest forms of medieval fortification.
14. The wooden stairs up the motte were long gone, leaving visitors to climb the grassy slope.
15. We could see for miles in every direction from the top of the grassy motte.
16. The bailey housed buildings while the motte contained the main defensive structures.
17. The motte loomed tall over the surrounding countryside.
18. The motte and bailey castle became common across Norman-conquered lands.
19. Medieval siege engines could not reach the wooden palisade atop the motte.
20. An earthen tunnel connected the motte to the bailey in case of siege.
21. As we climbed the motte, we imagined what it would have been like during an attack.
22. The motte helped slow any approaching attack before they reached the bailey.
23. The motte gave the defenders the high ground and tactical advantage.
24. The castle's motte served as an important strategic position.
25. The wooden palisade atop the motte restricted ingress and egress.
26. We descended the steep motte and continued our castle tour.
27. The raised motte also allowed the inhabitants to spot approaching enemies from far away.
28. The damp earth of the motte had limited any vegetation from covering it.
29. The castle's motte had eroded away over time.
30. The castle's iconic motte was still visible from the surrounding countryside.
31. They dug a deep trench around the base of the motte for added defense.
32. Attacking forces would have to fight uphill to reach the top of the motte.
33. As long as enemies could not breach the motte, the castle was safe.
34. The massive earthen motte loomed large as we entered the castle gates.
35. Food and resources were stored within the stone buildings inside the bailey at the base of the motte.
36. The motte was created by piling up earth and dirt to form an artificial mound.
37. We climbed the grassy motte to get a better view of the castle and surrounding landscape.
38. The motte's steep sides were hard for attackers to scale.
39. Even a dirt motte provided a tactical advantage against medieval weapons.
40. The motte was higher than the surrounding bailey to give defenders an elevated position.
41. The wooden structure atop the motte was long gone, but the earthen mound remained.
42. They relied on the motte's defensibility more than the bailey's fortifications.
43. The narrow wooden stairway up the motte would have made attacks difficult.
44. There was no longer a castle on the motte, just the grassy hill remaining.
45. Over time, erosion has worn down the sides of the motte.
46. The motte stood as a reminder of the castle that once fortified the area.
47. The position atop the motte gave guards a clear view of approaching threats.
48. We ascended to the top of the motte and gazed out at the countryside.
49. Attacking forces would have had to go through the bailey before reaching the motte.
50. The motte rose prominently over the surrounding rolling hills.
51. The moat around the bailey provided extra protection for the motte.
52. Drawbridge chains once connected the motte to the buildings within the bailey.
53. The motte and bailey defenses were forerunners of modern military fortifications.
54. The motte remained a striking structure despite the deteriorating bailey.
55. The motte provided a safe haven to flee to during attacks on the bailey.
56. The castle's primary defenses came from the palisade atop the motte.
57. A dry moat once surrounded the base of the motte for added protection.
58. The motte rose tall above us as we stood in the castle's bailey.
59. They built the motte up with soil and dirt dug out from the surrounding moat.
60. We climbed to the very top of the grassy motte for an impressive view of the historic landscape.
Common Phases
1.
Motte and bailey: referring to a two-part medieval castle consisting of an artificial mound (
motte) topped by a wooden keep, and an enclosed courtyard (bailey) below at the base.
2. Stand atop/on the
motte: to be positioned at the top of the earthen mound of a medieval
motte and bailey castle.
3. Climb the
motte: to ascend the slope of an artificial mound within a
motte and bailey castle.
4. Defend the
motte: to protect the wooden structure atop an earthen mound from attack.
5. Inhabit the
motte: to live or reside in a structure located at the top of the earthen mound of a
motte and bailey castle.
6. Create an earthen
motte: to form an artificial mound of piled earth typically for military defensive purposes.
7. Loom over the bailey: to stand prominently higher than and overlooking the courtyard or lower enclosed area.
8. Provide a tactical advantage: to offer a strategic or militarily beneficial position from the height of the
motte.
9. Elevated position: the advantageous higher ground occupied from atop an earthen
motte.
10. Gaze out from the
motte: to look or see far into the distance when standing at the top of an earthen mound.
11. Slow attacking forces: the
motte forced invaders to ascend a slope, impeding their progress.
12. Ascend the
motte: to go up, climb, or rise to the top of an earthen mound within a castle.
13. Spot enemies from afar: the higher position of the
motte allowed guards to see invaders approaching from a distance.
14. Remain of the
motte: the earthen mound is typically the only surviving part of a
motte and bailey castle over time.
15. Rise prominently: to stand out or jut upward in a conspicuous manner (like an earthen
motte within a landscape).