Halt! Who goes there? We have visitors! Welcome to Camembert Castle. Yes, yes. They named it after the "stinky" cheese. One day when Jen and her family were shopping, her daughter wanted to try Camembert cheese that hails from Normandy, France. It usually has a mushroomy and earthy taste with the texture of Brie cheese. But the stench can be overpowering! Haha.

 

Castles have always been captivating to Jen and she enjoys reading about their history. They built castles for fortification and defense, and were usually homes of royalty and the nobility. Designs of castles have changed over history due to technology, and their function and purpose. The Motte and Bailey castles is the 'original castle design' and brought into use by the Normans following the invasion of 1066. These castles were usually made of timber, which was easy to obtain and quicker to build with. But, timber is flammable and attackers using flaming arrows could be very destructive. During the 1100s and 1200s, the design of the Motte and Bailey timber castle was strengthened and turned into stone, becoming Stone Keeps, allowing for better defense. But they could burrow even stone out, causing the foundation to collapse. The idea for a 'castle within a castle' was born and curtain walls were built around the Stone Keep. This design became known as the Concentric Castle.

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Today, they built castles as a sign of importance and wealth instead of for defense. When we think of castles, we usually think of fairy-tales and fantasy. Camembert Castle is a medieval 'fantasy' castle.