The author considers the period from the introduction of the castle by the Normans to the accession of the Tudors and adopts a broadly thematic approach. The book provides a synthesis of what has been learnt about the development, form and function of British castles through excavations since 1945. Part 1 looks at the defensive functions of the castle while Part 2 examines the purely domestic building and their role within the castle. Part 3 considers town defences on which much light has been shed by the expansion of urben archaeology in the 1970s.