Castle studies and the 'landscape' agenda

Abstract

The growth in interest in the wider settlement settings and landscape contexts of medieval castles is reviewed. While overtly militaristic approaches to castle study sometimes ensured that sites were frequently examined in isolation from their surroundings, some early scholars were aware of the importance of viewing castles in their wider contexts. From the 1970s onwards, excavation, survey and settlement studies have all made a decisive contribution to our enhanced understanding of the ‘landscape’ dimension of medieval fortification. Changing approaches to the study of Norman castles, in particular, are explored, and recommendations for future study are identified.