The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles is Ella Sophia Armitage’s landmark study of the earthwork castles raised after the Norman Conquest. Through careful documentary and field research, she demonstrated that the characteristic motte-and-bailey castles were Norman introductions rather than pre-existing English works, reshaping the understanding of medieval fortification.
Armitage, a pioneering woman scholar in a field dominated by men, brought rigorous method to the dating and interpretation of these mounds and enclosures. Her conclusions became foundational for the study of castle origins in Britain. The book combines archaeology, history, and topography in a clear and disciplined argument. It remains a classic of castle scholarship and a model of careful historical reasoning about early medieval architecture.