Crown Fortress

Crown Fortress is a term still sometimes used for any fortress or castle that currently or historically belonged to the British Crown for military purposes (as opposed to Royal Castles, which were typically used as palaces.

Over the centuries, various types of Crown Fortress emerged. The oldest may be those built across England after the Norman Conquest. These are motte-and-bailey castles, many of which, though becoming private property of knights or , began at the behest of the English king to help subjugate and control Norman-occupied England, and later Wales.

However, some of these motte and bailey castles were not handed over to the aristocracy, either because they were favoured as royal residences, or the monarch found it militarily useful to keep some. It is unlikely that much of a distinction was made between the two, but such castles were always useful for defence, as well as for providing a military presence in potentially rebellious areas, where perhaps the ambitions of the aristocracy meant they couldn't be entirely trusted. A fortified stronghold was also useful for tax collection and dispensing justice. These structures, like many motte and bailey castles, were rebuilt in stone. As time went on and the shires were established, many motte and bailey castles became the seats of sheriffs, as a result making the towns or cities around them the county towns, and latterly many came to house the Shire Halls, and county councils. Such examples survive (although not necessarily still in use) at Chester Castle, Exeter, Lancaster Castle, Leicester Castle, Lincoln Castle, Norwich Castle, Shrewsbury Castle, York Castle.

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