What is “a motte-and-bailey” most associated with?

The story behind the answer

After the 1066 conquest, Norman lords rapidly dotted England and Wales with motte-and-bailey castles to secure control. A steep earthen mound (the motte) held a timber or later stone keep, while an enclosed courtyard (the bailey) housed soldiers and supplies. The design was inexpensive, used local labor, and could be erected in days—perfect for occupying newly subdued lands.

French in origin (motte = mound, bailey = enclosure), these fortifications often guarded roads, river crossings, and market towns. Many early timber structures were later rebuilt in stone, evolving into imposing keeps and shell keeps; places like Windsor began this way. Today, the characteristic grassy mounds you see across Britain are the surviving footprints of this rapid, transformative phase of castle-building.