Author Topic: My Latest Castle  (Read 6761 times)

Offline playmogirl

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Re: My Latest Castle
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2008, 15:12:33 »

Hello, Anne ...

Very nice Steck Castle ...  :wow:

At first, I just couldn't understand why all of your little Klickys appeared to be using ladders. It seemed that for coming and going it would have been a lot easier just to use the doors. Then, I saw the tiger! (And, is that also a leopard wandering around on the inside of your castle?)

There must be a story that you would like to share with us about how this happened? And, is it a permanent arrangement? Or, are your Klickys hoping to someday be able to inhabit ALL of your wonderful Steck Castle?

All the best,
Richard

Thanks, Richard!  My 7 year old set up all the klickys. I believe the ones on the ladders are attacking. The tigers and leopards belong to the castle residents. They fight along side their masters.  I try to keep the building permanent but the klicky set ups never remain the same. I look forward to the day when the kids are older I can set them up and they will stay that way! My 7 year old is great at setting up, but after he gets all his men in position, he has a battle and there are always many casualties.

Anne

Offline Martin Milner

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Re: My Latest Castle
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2008, 15:45:06 »
I love the round towers too.  I got mine from Ridge Road last summer for an incredible price.  I am still mad that I didn't buy more than one!

Anne

It's a shame they haven't introduced round towers to System-X yet. The early Crusaders saw round towers in the Holy Land, and from the 13th Century on started incorporating them into English castle design.

The round tower had several advantages over a square one - it deflected missiles better, no corners made one more difficult to undermine in a long siege, and they presented better interlocking fields of fire.

The round tower enjoyed a resurgence during the Tudor period with improvements in cannon power. Gun forts along the coast such as those at Pendennis

St Mawes

 and Portland


to name but a few, were composed entirely of rounded sections, and the string of Martello Towers


erected to keep that pesky Napoleon off our shores took the idea of a small self-contained gun tower to its logical conclusion.

Of course some people are more illogical with their choice of location.


I've visited the first three castles, really gun forts, and see many Martello towers, though not this particular one which is in South Africa.

Pendennis and St Mawes make a marvellous day's visit as a pair.


Originally built to protect the approach to Falmouth Harbour in Cornwall, the guns of each could fire 1/2 a mile across the mouth of the river, which was a mile wide, so they needed one each side.

By Elizabeth's reign the technology had improved enough that guns could fire a mile, so now only one was required. Pendennis was chosen (being the same side of the river as Falmouth, I guess, it was easier to support and supply by land) and sections were upgraded or added to from the date of the Spanish Armada until WW2, when it was still in use (with new guns).

St Mawes meanwhile was mothballed, and remains structurally almost unchanged from the day it was built.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2008, 07:24:54 by Martin Milner »

Offline Richard

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Re: My Latest Castle
« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2008, 16:43:35 »


Great history lesson, Martin ...

I love Castles and Forts! My very favourites are the Spanish forts of the Caribbean!
see attachments

I wish that Playmobil had made slanted walls and Spanish senty boxes before they discontinued their Steck System.

Offline Gepetto

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Re: My Latest Castle
« Reply #13 on: February 23, 2008, 04:12:42 »
I love the round towers too.  I got mine from Ridge Road last summer for an incredible price.  I am still mad that I didn't buy more than one!

Anne

I know, I hesitated too long on those also, now best price is $27 and I may get one as penance.


Gepetto

Offline Gepetto

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Re: My Latest Castle
« Reply #14 on: February 23, 2008, 04:26:01 »
Matrin,

Thank you for the pix! Can't have too pictures of castles and forts(especially when they are so well done).


Gepetto

Offline Martin Milner

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Re: My Latest Castle
« Reply #15 on: February 23, 2008, 07:14:30 »
Lovely fort, Richard!

Very interesting to see that too, because the same sort of "pepperpot" sentry box can be seen at Fort George in Scotland


and Charles Fort in Kinsale, Ireland.


I've stood inside the one at Charles Fort - the soldiers must have been somewhat shorter then I am, as I had to crouch to see through the spy windows. I'd like to think that the Spanish stole the design from the English, but much more likely the other way round. They don't look like they'd survive a direct hit from a cannon ball, but good proof against musket and pistol shot, and the wind!

Military architecture as you may guess is one of my hobbies!




Offline CountBogro

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Re: My Latest Castle
« Reply #16 on: February 23, 2008, 07:27:19 »
... I'd like to think that the Spanish stole the design from the English, but much more likely the other way round. ...

I allways thought they were a invention by Vaubain, a French military architect.
... and then dusk came and brought despair.

Offline Richard

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Re: My Latest Castle
« Reply #17 on: February 23, 2008, 13:59:22 »

Hello, Martin and Bogro ...

Lovely fort, Richard!

Very interesting to see that too, because the same sort of "pepperpot" sentry box can be seen at Fort George in Scotland

I allways thought they were a invention by Vaubain, a French military architect.

The wonderful thing about military architecture in the Caribbean is that it's such a marvelous blend of almost all of the European styles.

For instance ... A Caribbean island might first be discovered and colonized by the Spanish. The Spaniards would build and fortify it against the French, Dutch, English and Portuguese invaders.

Then, as an example ... A French invasion might be successful, but since the fortifications would no doubt be damaged during the battle, the French would probably repair and "improve' the fortifications in their own architectural style. They would then await their turn to be attacked by the Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish and English.

Later, the Danes as well as some religious orders, such as the Knights of Malta, added their own unique architectural style to the mix.

This architectural polygot in the West Indies began with arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 and continued well into the 1800s. So, for more than 300 years, most of the European naval powers had a profound and lasting influence on the overall style of architecture in the Caribbean.


Military architecture as you may guess is one of my hobbies!

Me too ... ;)


Hello, Anne ...

Who would have thought that a Playmobil castle, "invaded" by your 7 year old son, would have launched a discussion on European military architecture in the Caribbean? ... :lol:

All the best,
Richard


Offline Jimbo

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Re: My Latest Castle
« Reply #18 on: February 23, 2008, 15:12:59 »
Who would have thought that a Playmobil castle, "invaded" by your 7 year old son, would have launched a discussion on European military architecture in the Caribbean? ... :lol:


That's the beauty of the wonderful world of Playmobil, and Playmofriends! :yup:
I am also a "castle fancier".
Best regards,
Jimbo

Offline Timotheos

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Re: My Latest Castle
« Reply #19 on: March 03, 2008, 11:51:20 »
It's a shame they haven't introduced round towers to System-X yet. The early Crusaders saw round towers in the

Thanks for the photo show, Martin.  The pictures look great!

I've found the steck round towers a little frustrating because they're just a little too small on the inside... 

To Playmogirl:
The castle looks great!
-Tim