THE LEGO CASTLE BOOK

BUILD THE LEGO CASTLE OF YOUR DREAMS!

®

Filled with stunning photos, step-by-step instructions, and creative ideas for customization, The LEGO Castle Book
shows you how to build mini castles complete with moats, drawbridges, gatehouses, and more! Build a castle using BUILD YOUR OWN MINI MEDIEVAL WORLD
basic bricks or make one of the six master builds. Create your own medieval village with windmills, taverns, and

THE LEGO CASTLE BOOK

chapels. Travel through the history of castle architecture and learn how to build walls, towers, gates, and keeps.

Whether your goal is to add realistic details like crenellations, turrets, and parapets to your designs or to create a
believable medieval setting, you’ll find endless inspiration in The LEGO Castle Book.

®
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jeff Friesen is an award-winning photographer and LEGO enthusiast whose work has been exhibited in the United
States, Canada, Europe, and Japan. In 2017, he was awarded the Brothers Brick LEGO Creation of the Year. He posts

Jeff Friesen
his popular LEGO photography on Instagram (@jeff_works). Friesen lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

$24.95 US
THE FINEST IN GEEK ENTERTAINMENT™ This book is not authorized $33.95 CAN

Jeff Friesen
www.nostarch.com or endorsed by the LEGO Group. Shelve in: Hobbies/LEGO
Ages 7 and up
THE LEGO CASTLE BOOK
®
THE LEGO CASTLE BOOK
®

BUILD YOUR OWN MINI MEDIEVAL WORLD

Jeff Friesen

SA N FR A NCISCO
The LEGO ® Castle Book. Copyright © 2019 by Jeff Friesen.

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright
owner and the publisher.

ISBN-10: 1-7185-0016-5
ISBN-13: 978-1-71850-016-7

Publisher: William Pollock

Production Editor: Laurel Chun
Cover and Interior Design: Jeff Friesen
Developmental Editor: Annie Choi
Copyeditor: Anne Marie Walker
Proofreader: Abby Franklin

For information on distribution, translations, or bulk sales,

please contact No Starch Press, Inc. directly:

No Starch Press, Inc.

245 8th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
phone: 1.415.863.9900; [email protected]; www.nostarch.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Friesen, Jeff (Photographer), author.
Title: LEGO micro cities : build your own mini metropolis! / Jeff Friesen.
Description: San Francisco, CA : No Starch Press, Inc., [2019].
Identifiers: LCCN 2018025695 (print) | LCCN 2018026052 (ebook) | ISBN
9781593279431 (epub) | ISBN 1593279434 (epub) | ISBN 9781593279424 (print)
| ISBN 1593279426 (print) | ISBN 9781593279431 (ebook) | ISBN 1593279434
(ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Miniature cities and towns. | Architectural models. | LEGO
toys. | Cities and towns--Models.
Classification: LCC TT178 (ebook) | LCC TT178 .F75 2019 (print) | DDC
688.7/25--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018025695

No Starch Press and the No Starch Press logo are registered trademarks of No Starch
Press, Inc. All trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective holders.
Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, we
are using the names only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner,
with no intention of infringement of the trademark.

LEGO, the Brick and Knob configurations, and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO
Group, which does not authorize or endorse this book.

The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty. While every
precaution has been taken in the preparation of this work, neither the author nor No Starch
Press, Inc. shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage
caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in it.
“To create one’s own world takes courage.”
—Georgia O’Keefe
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Friesen is an award-winning photographer and
LEGO enthusiast whose work has been exhibited in
the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan. He
posts his popular LEGO photography on Instagram
(@jeff_works), and in 2017, he was awarded the
Brothers Brick LEGO Creation of the Year. Jeff lives
in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
CONTENTS
I N T ROD U C T ION. .................................................................. .. x i
BUILDING IN MICROSCALE......................................................................xii
GREAT BRICKS FOR LEGO CASTLES.....................................................xiii
BUYING THE BRICKS YOU NEED............................................................xix
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................................. xx
C H A P T ER 1 : A H IST ORY OF CASTL ES................................... ... 3
MOTTE-AND-BAILEY CASTLES................................................................. 4
STONE KEEP CASTLES.............................................................................. 7
CONCENTRIC CASTLES............................................................................ 8
DECORATIVE CASTLES............................................................................ 10
FANTASY CASTLES.................................................................................. 12
C H A P T ER 2 : BU ILD IN G A CASTL E. .......................................... 15
A NEW CASTLE......................................................................................... 16
WHO BUILDS A CASTLE?........................................................................ 18
THE GARRISON........................................................................................ 23
GATHERING WOOD AND STONE............................................................. 24
C H A P T ER 3 : C A ST LE AR CHITECTUR E..................................... 27
CASTLE ANATOMY................................................................................... 28
WALLS....................................................................................................... 30
TOWERS.................................................................................................... 32
GATEHOUSE............................................................................................. 34
THE KEEP.................................................................................................. 36
BAILEY...................................................................................................... 37
C H A P T ER 4 : BU ILD IN G A L EGO CASTL E .................................. 39
BUILD A CASTLE WALL............................................................................ 40
BUILD CASTLE TOWERS.......................................................................... 44
BUILD A CASTLE GATE............................................................................ 52
BUILD A DRAWBRIDGE............................................................................ 56
 BUILD A GATEHOUSE.............................................................................. 57
BUILD A CASTLE KEEP............................................................................ 62
PUTTING YOUR CASTLE TOGETHER...................................................... 70
CASTLE INSPIRATION.............................................................................. 71
C H A P T ER 5 : MA KIN G A MEDIEVAL VIL L AGE. ........................... 77
BUILDING THE VILLAGE........................................................................... 78
CREATING THE VILLAGE LANDSCAPE.................................................... 86
C H A P T ER 6 : C A ST LE M ASTER B UIL DS. ................................... 91
SLEEPING DRAGON................................................................................. 93
LAND’S END............................................................................................ 113
RIVER GATE............................................................................................ 133
WINTER PALACE..................................................................................... 143
EIGHT ARCHES....................................................................................... 155
MOUNTAIN KINGDOM............................................................................ 169

viii Contents
INTRODUCTION
Castles loom large in our minds as they do in real You can find inspiration from real-world castle
life. Fairy tales and children’s toys abound with styles in different countries. You can also look at
images of castles, and we come to understand imaginary castles in books and popular culture.
what they look like long before we have any under- There is no correct formula for a LEGO castle
standing of architecture. Stories of King Arthur and except your own vision.
Harry Potter continue to reinforce our collective
imagination of castles. In the pages ahead, we’ll journey through the
world of castles, from their wooden beginnings to
Castles all over the world served the practical func- ­massive stone structures. You’ll learn how castles
tion of providing nobles with a fortified stronghold, were built and how to build your own with LEGO.
yet their form invites mystery and intrigue. It’s as if
every stone of their construction contains a secret
from the past.

Although the golden age of castle building is long

past, LEGO castle building is thriving today. With
a handful of LEGO bricks you can create your own
medieval kingdom. As you start building, you’ll also
invent your castle’s story. Is your king or queen a
peaceful ruler or a scheming warlord? Maybe your
castle is haunted by ghosts of the past. The tales
of your realm are yours to tell.
BUILDING IN MICROSCALE
The castles in this book are microscale. Although
no set definition exists, microscale usually refers to
between 1/500 and 1/2500 the size of real-world
buildings.

Microscale lets you build a variety of LEGO castles

without needing a huge pile of LEGO bricks. With
microscale building techniques you can make a
beautiful castle on a 4 x 4 baseplate. You can even
build a complete castle village that you can hold in
your hands!

CHOOSING YOUR BRICKS

When you’re building in microscale, you need
to imagine LEGO pieces in new ways to express
detail. For example, a headlight brick can serve
as a castle’s window, and a unicorn horn can
become a pine tree. Use your imagination to
unlock a LEGO brick’s hidden potential.

Here are some tips for selecting bricks for your

microscale castle.

xii INTRODUCTION
GREAT BRICKS FOR LEGO CASTLES
BASIC BRICKS
If you could travel back in time to the late
1960s, these LEGO bricks would be a familiar
sight—although they would be red or white
rather than grey. Take comfort in knowing that
1960s LEGO bricks are still compatible with
3003 3039 3043 today’s bricks! As you’ll learn in the pages
ahead, you can make a LEGO castle using only
old-school bricks. A LEGO brick’s iconic studs
are like built-in castle crenellations.

3010 3004 3005

MODIFIED BRICKS

2877 98283 4216 30136 87620 85080

Modified 1 x 2 bricks add texture to your a ­window or arrow loop. Some modified bricks
­models. The grille brick can represent rough also have a round or angled corner so you can
stone or thin windows. The masonry brick build polygonal or round castle features. Mix
(#98283) looks like real staggered stone bricks. and match modified bricks to give even the
You can use the brick with a center groove as smallest LEGO castles detail and form.

INTRODUCTION xiii
 ROUND AND CONE-SHAPED BRICKS
Stack round bricks to create an
instant tower. Top the stack with
A truncated
a cone to add a roof to your
cone upside
tower. Use cones of different
down
widths to form a tall, fantasy
3941 92947 98100 3062 castle roof.

The truncated cone (#98100)

makes an amazingly detailed
tower turret when you use it
upside down. Combine it with
the Technic pin connector
6233 3942 4589
(#62462) and see that upside
down is the right way up.

SNOT BRICKS

22885 30414 4733 87087 4070

SNOT (Studs Not On Top) bricks let you build sideways

with LEGO, because they have an outward facing stud on
one or more sides. SNOT building techniques are handy for A SNOT castle
castle walls. wall in progress

xiv INTRODUCTION
PLATES
Plates are one-third the height of
regular bricks, which makes them
useful for fine height adjustments in
your models. They can also delineate
4032 3023 3024 4073 85861 different floors of a keep or tower.
You’ll use a plate as your LEGO
­castle’s foundation.

The 1 x 1 round plate with an open

stud (#85861) can hold a bar element
to represent flagpoles or other deco-
3031 11212 3022 rative features.

MODIFIED PLATES

2432 32028 4623 15573 49668 15070 2555

Modified plates come in all kinds of shapes rain gutters or architectural finery. Handles
that you can use for structural and aesthetic can hold up a swinging drawbridge to protect
functions in a microscale LEGO castle. LEGO castle treasures within. Jumper plates (#15573)
monster teeth make great Gothic windows let you build in half-stud steps, which break up
and decorative shields. Clips make impressive the usual full brick widths common to LEGO
finials on 1 x 1 brick merlons. Rails provide structures.

INTRODUCTION xv
 TECHNIC BRICKS
Technic bricks make up some of
LEGO’s most complex sets, such as
a Bugatti super car complete with a
functional transmission. But they’re
also ideal for building microscale
98585 17485 32187 62462 61184 LEGO castles. For example, you
can use the driving ring extender to
build a tower. You’ll learn more ways
of making old-world castles from
­modern bricks.
32064 3700 6541 3673 4274

TILES AND PANELS

30413 2431 4865 3069 2412 6231 3070

Because tiles and panels have no studs, their parapet walks, and use LEGO corner panels to
smooth surfaces add a clean finish to your make your parapet walk turn corners without
model. Use tiles horizontally in conjunction with gaps. Combine the grille tile with SNOT bricks
SNOT bricks to make elegant walls. Add tiles to create a mullioned window. (Mullions on
on your castle’s ground level to form flagstone castle windows are like stone window panes.)
walkways. Use panels on top of walls to make

xvi INTRODUCTION
MINIFIGURE ACCESSORIES

93550 3846 30374 90540 64567 24482 30162

Minifigure accessories work great in microscale lightsaber bar (#30374) as a flagpole or as

LEGO builds. For example, minifigure swords structural support to join multiple round LEGO
and spears make excellent tower toppers, and elements. The lightsaber handle makes a
you can attach binoculars to a wall using SNOT detailed column or small tower.
building to make a double tower. Use the

WINDOWS AND ARCHES

30044 90195 3659 4490 30046 94161

Design windows for minifigures to make

grand entrances for microscale castles. Add
a ­window lattice as a fierce iron portcullis at
the castle gate. Use arches as arched gate-
ways or stone arch bridges.
15254

INTRODUCTION xvii
 SLOPES
Slopes come in a variety of shapes
and angles that you can mix and
match. Use slopes as castle roofs
or beneath a castle as a rocky
landscape. Slopes without studs
add polish to a roof. A small four-
sided 1 x 1 slope (#22388) can
3685 3688 60481 3045 create a detailed pyramidal roof line
on a mere 1-stud footprint.

3040 3044 15571 54200 22388

OTHER USEFUL BRICKS

15535
+ =
2453 14716 18674

These tall bricks replace stacks Combine modified round plates #15535 and #18674
of 1 x 1 bricks, making it easier with 2 x 2 round bricks to flip the top 2 x 2 round
to keep walls in perfect align- brick upside down. This technique creates a realistic
ment as you build upward. turret.

xviii INTRODUCTION
BUYING THE BRICKS YOU NEED
You can build a LEGO castle using basic LEGO You can also buy individual LEGO bricks online at
bricks that have been around for more than 60 https://www.lego.com in the Pick-A-Brick category.
years. But it’s fun to figure out original ways to use But the selection is limited compared to Bricklink.
specialty LEGO bricks for microscale building. LEGO stores have Pick-A-Brick walls that let you
buy all the bricks you can fit into a cup for a rea-
To buy bricks you don’t have, go to Bricklink sonable price. Additionally, you can acquire bricks
(https://www.bricklink.com), an online store that by buying official LEGO sets at most stores where
sells LEGO parts by the piece. To find the ­specific toys are sold.
parts you see in this book, enter the part num-
ber listed in the parts list before each model on
­Bricklink’s search engine. Bricklink lets you search
stores in your own country to get the best price on
shipping. Stores with more than 100,000 parts will
almost always have what you need.

Bricklink is especially useful for purchasing unique

pieces, such as the LEGO Technic driving ring
extension (#32187), which also happens to be a
perfect microscale castle turret. Trying to get a
dozen driving ring extensions by buying LEGO
Technic sets would cost hundreds of dollars. On
Bricklink, the same driving ring extensions average
about 10 cents each, so your total expenditure
would only be $1.20.

INTRODUCTION xix
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you to the worldwide LEGO community, who continue to be the nicest
people on the internet. Thanks to the Brothers Brick (www.brothers-brick.com)
for giving LEGO builders a daily showcase of building inspiration. No Starch
Press has long been my favorite LEGO book publisher, and it is a dream to
work with their talented staff. I am especially grateful to Annie Choi and Laurel
Chun. My life and this book is only possible because of my wife, Tetjana, and
our daughter, June.
CHAPTER 1

A HISTORY
OF CASTLES

The history of castles features

unexpected twists and turns that
are unique in the architecture world.
How did 9th century wooden forts
evolve into fantastical theme park
centerpieces? To find out, we’ll begin
our journey in medieval France.
MOTTE-AND-BAILEY CASTLES
The first castles were constructed by the Normans an effective watchtower for keeping an eye on the
in northern France during the 10th century. These surrounding landscape.
early castles, called motte-and-bailey castles, were
originally made of wood rather than stone. Motte- BAILEY
and-bailey castles took their name from two raised The lower earthen mound of a motte-and-bailey
earthen mounds that were essential to their defen- castle featured a fenced-in flattened courtyard
sive design. called the bailey, which contained the keep’s
supporting buildings and their workers. It was a
MOTTE mini-village complete with a barracks, stable, forge,
The motte was the taller of the two earthen kitchen, granary, and chapel. The bailey was con-
mounds that form a motte-and-bailey castle. If nected to the motte with stairs or a raised wooden
a suitable motte couldn’t be found in the natural bridge called a flying bridge. If the bailey was
landscape, manual laborers piled up shoveled overrun by attackers, defenders could retreat to the
earth to create one. Mottes ranged in height from keep and destroy the flying bridge behind them.
10 to 100 feet, and their sides were reinforced with
logs and compacted clay to prevent erosion. The EARLY SUCCESS
motte’s top was flattened and lined with a palisade Motte-and-bailey castles had many advantages.
fence made of wooden stakes. They could be built quickly using unskilled labor,
and they were made with inexpensive materials,
THE KEEP such as wood and earth, that were easy to gather
Crowning the motte was a large fortified building locally.
called a keep, which was a symbol of power. It
was the tallest and strongest building of the castle UP IN FLAMES
complex, and it served as the home of the local The motte-and-bailey castle’s wooden structures
lord. Every keep was unique, but its usual features were vulnerable to fire, and attackers eventually
included towers and arrow slits used by archers perfected fire-based attacks that left the nobility
to repel invaders. The keep’s height also made it looking for a new kind of defense.

4 A HISTORY OF CASTLES
STONE KEEP CASTLES
As the motte-and-bailey castles went up in flames, CRENELLATIONS
the nobility realized that a fireproof castle was Stone keep castles featured the now iconic castle
essential to future survival. In medieval times, the crenellations, the gaps that topped castle roof-
only flameproof building material available was lines and looked like a row of widely spaced teeth.
stone. Stone keep castles began to be built in the Crenellations were composed of crenels, the open
10th century, often on the footprint of a torched gaps between merlons, the teeth that gave cover to
wooden keep. archers.

A KING’S RANSOM COLD COMFORT

Stone was much more expensive than wood, and Stone castles increased comfort along with defense.
stone construction required the costly labor of Warming fires could be lit without fear of burning
skilled masons. Stone castles took years to build down the building, and rain was kept at bay by
rather than weeks. Once a castle was complete, tightly fitted stone. Rooms grew to a luxurious size
most of the treasury was tied to its maintenance. suitable for aristocratic tastes. Stone castles pro-
Was the price worth it? Considering that many jected status in addition to strength.
stone castles are still standing today, the costs
of stone construction came with significant benefits. UNDERMINING
In the continuous cat-and-mouse game of castle
A ROOM WITH A VIEW attack and defense, stone keep castles eventually
Flaming arrows bounced off stone castle walls as became vulnerable to new forms of attacks called
planned, and the solid construction allowed for undermining. Undermining was a technique per-
taller castle designs. Soaring keeps and towers formed by a special military unit called a sapper
provided more range for defending archers, and that involved digging under castle walls to collapse
watchtowers commanded a larger view of the land them. Sappers were well protected from arrows
than ever before. above with a wooden cover. Because under­mining
was an effective type of attack, ­castle design
needed to change once again.

A HISTORY OF CASTLES 7
CONCENTRIC CASTLES
Just like concentric rings have circles direction. Attackers lucky enough to
within circles, a concentric castle is break through the outer wall would
a castle inside another castle. This find themselves between the walls
castle design, which began to appear in an area known as the killing fields,
in the 13th century, was the ­pinnacle where defenders could rain down
of defensive castle construction. arrows on them in a deadly crossfire.
Two layers of stone walls greeted
attackers with an aura of impenetra- CIRCLE OF POWER
bility. Along the walls were regularly A square castle’s corners were espe-
spaced towers that looked like pillars cially vulnerable to undermining and
holding up the sky. were regularly reduced to rubble by
sappers. The solution was to build
Despite the name, concentric ring round towers, which had no weak
castle floor plans were usually square point.
or angular rather than circular. What-
ever their shape, attackers had to SIEGE BY STARVATION
think twice before laying siege to this The futility of attacking a concentric
imposing structure. ring castle led to a novel strategy
that didn’t involve attacking
CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE the castle at all. Instead,
The inner wall of a concentric castle attackers cut off the
was higher than the outer wall, which ­ astle’s food and water
c
allowed archers on the inner wall to supply. A well-stocked
fire arrows over their counterparts castle could withstand
on the lower wall. This double vol- this form of siege for
ley of arrows could be aimed in any months, but when the
castle’s stores ran out, occu-
pants were forced to surrender.

EXPENSIVE TASTES
Only the richest kings and
wealthy religious orders, such
as the Knights Templar or the
Knights Hospitallers, could
afford to build concentric ring
castles.

KRAK DES CHEVALIER

This LEGO castle was inspired
by a real crusader castle called
Krak Des Chevalier, which still
stands in present-day Syria.
DECORATIVE CASTLES
In the 15th century, powerful military ­technology battle. Rows of carefully pruned trees replaced
allowed for a new style of castle that valued battalions of soldiers. Henry VIII settled in Hampton
­aesthetics over defense. Palace, and Louis XIV moved into the Palace of
Versailles.
RISE OF GUNPOWDER
The invention of gunpowder changed castle con- Many key features of traditional castle construc-
struction forever. Cannons were powerful enough tion, such as crenellations, towers, and gate-
to collapse castle walls that had previously with- houses, found their way into palace architecture.
stood centuries of medieval warfare. Initial efforts Castles were still symbols of power, and castle
to reinforce castle walls against artillery fire were architecture was used to project strength and pres-
inevitably met with more powerful guns. Attacking tige in other structures, such as aristocratic homes,
forces gained the upper hand against castles for government buildings, and military bases.
all time.
A CASTLE RENAISSANCE
ARTILLERY FORTS During the 19th century, a wave of medieval nos-
Castles evolved from defensive structures into talgia swept through Europe, romanticizing the
­artillery forts, which no longer featured soaring long-gone age of chivalry, knights, and castles. It
keeps or towers exposed to cannon fire. Castles became fashionable for the upper classes to com-
became a purely military structure, and the era of mission over-the-top, heavily stylized versions of
true castles ended in the 16th century. traditional castles. The trend even crossed over
to North America, where there was no tradition of
THE ARCHITECTURE OF POWER castle building. The world’s most visited ­castle,
Because castles were no longer viable residences Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle, is a direct
for the nobility, the ruling class needed new places result of 19th century medieval nostalgia. It has no
to live. Stately manor homes, chateaus, and pal- defenses to deter more than one million visitors
aces were constructed far from the front lines of per year.

10 A HISTORY OF CASTLES
FANTASY CASTLES
Many of the world’s most famous castles exist only in
the minds of authors and screenplay writers. Whether in
books, video games, television, or the movies, castles
are touchstones in today’s cultural landscape.

CASTLES IN POPULAR CULTURE

Castles loomed large in popular stories by the Brothers
Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen in the 1800s. In
the 20th century, many of those tales, such as S ­ leeping
Beauty and Cinderella, were made into successful
­movies by Disney, which fittingly features a castle as
its logo.

Castles still figure prominently in global cultural

­phenomena, such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones,
and F
­ rozen. Even Darth Vader has a castle, as seen in
the movie Rogue One.

LEGO VISION
Fantasy castles are a great option for LEGO builders,
because the only design limitation is your imagination.
LEGO lets you build a castle in the sky, even if the clouds
are made of plastic.

12 A HISTORY OF CASTLES
14 
CHAPTER 2

BUILDING
A CASTLE

Castles were the megaprojects of

medieval times. It took an entire
village of more than 2,000 workers
almost 10 years to complete the
biggest castles. The number of
castles still standing today is a
testament to their hard work and
fine craftsmanship.
A NEW CASTLE
Medieval nobles had castles constructed to achieve Medieval rulers also required a network of castles
a number of goals. The clearest purpose was to to use as safe havens as they toured their domain.
establish a military and bureaucratic base from In 2019, Queen Elizabeth II maintains a variety of
which to control territory, quash rebellions, and castles for more or less the same purpose.
plan future land expansions.
THE MASTER MASON
A castle’s imposing appearance also radiated If you wanted a new castle built, the first person
authority. If a noble wasn’t in residence, the sheer you summoned was a master mason. Master
size of the castle’s structure reminded local villag- masons were the great multitaskers of medieval
ers who was in charge. An additional side effect of times. Each one was an architect, engineer, project
a castle’s appearance was showcasing wealth and manager, and accountant, all combined into one
prestige for fellow nobles to see—a middle-ages person. Master masons designed a new castle,
version of keeping up with the Joneses. sourced the building materials, chose the exact

16 BUILDING A CASTLE
castle building site, and oversaw a labor force that religious orders. Fortunes and ­castles were forever
could number into the thousands. linked. If one fell, the other soon followed.

Master masons were in high demand and short Estimating how much a castle would cost in today’s
supply, because they often managed a single dollars is an imperfect science. The reason is that
­castle project for several years at a time. One of most medieval laborers were paid a ­pittance, and
the first buildings erected at a castle building site the feudal economy can’t be compared to our own.
was the mason’s lodge. The mason’s lodge was a But let’s imagine that you wanted to build a sizable
combination of a workshop and home for the mas- concentric castle, which requires 2,000 workers,
ter mason who lived a semi-nomadic life moving including trade specialists, over the course of ten
from job site to job site. years. A custom stone construction project like that
would cost at least 100 million dollars today.
COST OF A CASTLE
Nothing made a noble’s money disappear faster WHEN IS IT READY?
than castle building and subsequent castle mainte- Although every castle was unique, generally, medi-
nance. Only cathedral construction rivaled a ­castle’s eval castles were built in two to ten years depend-
cost, and cathedrals were paid for collectively by ing on their size and grandeur.

BUILDING A CASTLE 17
WHO BUILDS A CASTLE?
It’s not an exaggeration to say that it takes a village obliged to provide free labor to their local lord in
to build a castle. In 1295, when England’s King the feudal system, were also unpaid.
Edward I was building Beaumaris Castle in Wales,
his master mason hired 2,000 common laborers, A common laborer’s main duties included s­ hoveling
400 masons, 200 quarrymen, 30 blacksmiths, and dirt for castle foundations, ditches, berms, and
an unknown number of carpenters and cart drivers. moats. They also shoveled the rubble used to fill
These numbers don’t include the military soldiers. the inner cores of castle walls. More specialized
workers used common laborers for the menial
COMMON LABORERS tasks of their trades, such as moving supplies of
Common laborers were unskilled workers who wood and stone from place to place.
occupied the lowest end of the castle builder’s pay
scale. Some laborers were captured enemies who Even by the brutal standards of the day, common
were forced to work without any pay. Peasants, laborers had a rough life. They shared cramped
quarters and dined on gruel.

18 BUILDING A CASTLE
CARPENTERS
Medieval carpenters were skilled workers who had Interior wooden finishings were also the carpenter’s
a key role in all aspects of castle construction. domain. They installed doors, hardwood floors,
Although made mainly of stone, castles had to be and decorative embellishments, depending on the
put together using wooden scaffolding made by budget.
carpenters. Another wooden construction device
made on site was the human-powered treadwheel
crane, which lifted stone onto high castle walls.
Treadwheel cranes resemble a cross between a
large hamster wheel and a modern crane.

Castles used wood in their structure as well. Stone

floors and roofs were supported by heavy joists,
pieces of lumber laid horizontally to support the
floor or roof above. The most well-known wooden
castle feature is the drawbridge.

BUILDING A CASTLE 19
MASONS
Highly trained in stonecraft, masons were the kings Mid-level masons were called journeymen
of the castle in the hierarchy of castle workers. because they journeyed from job site to job site.
But the masons also had an internal hierarchy of ­Journeymen masons cut stone blocks into the
their own. precise geometry prescribed by the master mason.
They also did fine ornamental detailing on vaulted
Rough masons were entry-level apprentice ­ceilings, keystones, columns, doorways, and
masons. They cut raw quarried stone into basic ­window frames. Their enduring work is a marvel
brick shapes. When the stone was cut, they did the even to modern onlookers.
heavy lifting of laying stone to form walls, using a
plumb line and level to keep the lines straight. The top mason, of course, was the master mason
in charge of the entire building operation, com-
manding a high wage for doing so.

20 BUILDING A CASTLE
MORTAR MAKERS
Mortar is the “glue” that holds the castle together. Mortar makers often kept their recipes a secret and
It’s the cement between the stones of every castle passed the knowledge to their kids with the hope
wall. Mortar makers worked closely with the rough of giving them a valuable future trade.
masons who laid the stone.
Mortar could be made in great quantities on mor-
Mortar was made from lime, sand, and water. tar boards laid on the ground. The lime, sand, and
The lime, a heat-treated mineral powder high in water used to make mortar was collected as close
calcium, was what hardened the mortar mixture to the castle building site as possible. Sometimes
into cement. Mixing the three ingredients in dif- the local sand or lime was not a good quality, and
ferent proportions made three types of mortar mortar makers had to travel farther afield to gather
for castle building: a rubbery mortar with lots of their supplies.
flex for ­ceiling vaults, a fine mortar for wall faces,
and a coarse mortar for the hidden rubble core of Was all the effort worth it? It seems that all the
castle walls. 1,000-year-old castles still standing are proof of
mortar’s durability.

BUILDING A CASTLE 21
BLACKSMITHS
The work of a blacksmith remains essentially words, they were responsible for making the
unchanged since the trade’s origins in the Bronze hammer and the nails. They also kept metal
Age. Blacksmiths shape metal, usually iron, using tools sharpened and weapons in good repair.
a fire hearth called a forge. Heating metal makes
it malleable enough to be shaped using a hammer Metal castle parts made by blacksmiths included
and anvil. door hinges, doorknobs, window fixtures, draw-
bridge chains, and the portcullis, a heavy iron gate
Metal was rare and costly during medieval times. that fortified castle entrances and was used to stop
A blacksmith was like a wizard in a peasant’s eyes, attackers.
because he was able to bend the unbendable.

Like carpenters, blacksmiths made castle ­fixtures

as well as the tools used to make castles. In other

22 BUILDING A CASTLE
THE GARRISON
War didn’t stop for castle building, and it was
essential to protect castle builders from attack.
Until castle walls reached a practical defensive
height, the workers lived in temporary wooden
housing protected by a wooden palisade fence.
The flimsy defense was easy to attack, and many
castles met their demise before their foundations
were complete.

A garrison of soldiers was stationed on the castle

site to discourage potential attackers. In fact, it
often took more soldiers to defend an incomplete
castle than a finished one. Soldiers consisted of
archers, crossbowmen, general men-at-arms, and
mounted knights.

BUILDING A CASTLE 23
 GATHERING WOOD AND STONE

24 BUILDING A CASTLE
Castle builders had a ravenous appetite for wood a rock formation that made stone easier to pry out.
and stone, which were gathered by specialist Quarrymen took direction from the master mason
tradespeople as close to the building site as concerning the size and shape of stones required.
­possible. These resources were transported by Some quarrymen doubled as rough masons who
horse or ox-powered carts, along with boats if cut stone at the digging site.
canals had been dug from the quarries to the castle.
Picks, levers, hammers, and chisels, all made by
QUARRYMEN AND MINERS a blacksmith, were the tools of the quarrymen’s
Quarrymen and miners were experts at digging trade.
rock out of the earth. The only distinction between
the two trades was that quarrymen always worked WOODCUTTERS
on the surface, whereas miners sometimes worked Medieval woodcutters, also called fellers, used
underground. axes to fell trees necessary for castle construction
and keeping the blacksmith’s fire hot. They deliv-
Experienced quarrymen could assess stone quality ered unfinished wood to carpenters or sawyers,
by sight, and they knew the natural fracture lines in whose job was cutting the trees into measured
lumber.

BUILDING A CASTLE 25
CHAPTER 3

CASTLE
ARCHITECTURE

What is the difference between

crenellations and machicolations?
Are murder holes desirable home
features? Elements of castle design
can befuddle a casual viewer, but as
you’ll learn in this chapter, every part
of a castle has a purpose.
CASTLE ANATOMY
This 13th century concentric ­castle PARAPET WALK
features inner and outer walls that
protect the keep. The ­courtyard-like BARRACKS
area enclosed by the outer walls is
called the bailey. Here are the other
parts of a typical medieval castle:
STABLE

GREAT TOWER

CRENELLATIONS

OUTER CURTAIN WALL

ARROW LOOP

MOAT

CHAPEL

28 CASTLE ARCHITECTURE
 KEEP

INNER CURTAIN WALL

TURRET

CORNER TOWER

GATEHOUSE

DRAWBRIDGE

BAILEY (COURTYARD)

CASTLE ARCHITECTURE 29
WALLS CRENEL (EMPTY SPACE)

FINIAL
Castle walls were made from local stone and
looked like bedrock that had pushed its way up MERLON
through the dirt. On average, castle walls were
8- to 12-feet thick and between 10- and 30-feet
high. The thickness of the walls protected against
catapults, and the height of the walls guarded
against siege towers, a type of ladder on wheels
attacking soldiers used to climb castle walls.

SHAPE OF A CASTLE
A castle’s walls defined its shape and usually fol-
lowed the contours of natural defensive features, CRENELLATIONS
such as a cliff side or hilltop. During initial con- Crenellations were the regularly spaced
struction, master masons used wooden pegs and gaps on top of castle walls. They were made
ropes to mark where castle walls would stand. up of merlons, which were upright stone
slabs that provided defensive cover, and
The inner side of castle walls featured a high crenels, which were the spaces between
walkway known as a parapet walk that linked the merlons. Merlons were sometimes finished
­castle’s towers and allowed defenders to quickly with a spiky stone crown called a finial.
move to where they were needed.
Crenellations have remained an architectural
LICENSE TO CRENELLATE symbol of fortification to this day, and you
Crenellations defined a castle’s appearance, and can even find them on modern suburban
adding them to a manor home was a provocative homes in a variety of sizes. When crenel-
act. It announced to the world that you were ­trying lations were used for castle defense, the
to take control of the local area. Lesser nobles ­merlons ranged in height from 3 to 7 feet
needed permission from the king, known as a high, and the crenels were 2 to 3 feet wide.

30 CASTLE ARCHITECTURE
license to crenellate, before they could build cren- CASTLE WALL CROSS SECTION
ellations on their homes.
FINE STONE BRICKS
CONSTRUCTION
The exposed faces of castle walls were made of
finely cut stones carefully mortared into place.
The wall’s inner core was a different matter. It was
made of roughly cut rock and rubble that provided
heft for the wall without requiring time-consuming
work from masons.

Castle walls flared out at the bottom for two pur-

poses. The added girth provided structural support
to the wall, and it helped guide stones dropped
from the parapet walk toward any attackers.

EXAGGERATED WALL FLARE RUBBLE INNER CORE

ARROW LOOPS
Arrow loops were narrow holes in castle
walls that allowed archers to fire out into
a wide area while protecting them from
return fire. Arrow loops ranged from thin
slits to crosslike shapes with several inter-
secting perpendicular lines.

CASTLE ARCHITECTURE 31
TOWERS
Like the rooks on a chessboard, towers were
essential in medieval warfare. Archers on a well-­
designed tower could scare off invaders before
they arrived at the gate. In a contest between two
evenly skilled archers, the one on higher ground
always won. Archers on high towers could send a
hail of arrows to attackers below, and the attackers
on the ground couldn’t even reach their targets.
With that advantage, a castle’s defending garrison
of approximately 30 soldiers could hold back an
invading force numbering in the hundreds. By the
13th century, some castle towers stood more than
50 feet high.

TURRETS
Turrets were crenellated towers that jutted out from
the castle wall, giving archers the o­ pportunity to
use flanking fire against enemies near the wall.
In military terms, flanking fire means to attack
an enemy from the side. Towers also allowed for
enfilading fire. This tactic involved attacking the
longest part of an enemy formation without fear of
being counterattacked due to the height advan-
tage and provided a good chance you would
hit an opponent. Two closely spaced towers let CIRCLE SQUARE
archers attack enemies from both sides in a deadly
crossfire.

32 CASTLE ARCHITECTURE
CIRCLE VS. SQUARE
The earliest castles had square angled towers down the stairs had an advantage in hand-to-hand
because they were easy to build, but the design combat. Although it was unlikely, if an attack force
was weak and subject to undermining, as dis- was entirely left-handed, they could have been a
cussed in Chapter 1. Round towers had no weak secret weapon.
points to undermine, and they also offered more
structural stability and could deflect stones hurled
by siege engines.

KEEPING SHAPE
CORBELS
Circular towers were superior to their square coun-
terparts, but circular structures were difficult to
build without the computer-aided design programs
that architects rely on today. Circular towers were
prone to deviating from their shape as they got
taller. A clever fix was to erect a central pole in
the middle of the tower as it was being built and
­measure out a circle using a fixed-length rope tied
to the pole.

SPIRAL STAIRWAY
A tower’s spiral stairways were cunningly designed
for defense in case an invading force breached
the castle walls. The stairs gained height as they LENDING SUPPORT
turned in a clockwise direction, which meant that A corbel was an architectural feature on
anyone climbing the stairs had little space in which many castles, and they were designed
to swing a sword. But the defenders descending to support weight above them. Corbels
the stairs had generous room to swing their swords protruded from castle walls and were
on their right side, which was the outer part of the usually decoratively carved. Corbels could
circular stairway. Because most people were right- also be made with built-in machicolations,
handed, as they are today, the defenders coming holes used to drop objects on attackers.

CASTLE ARCHITECTURE 33
GATEHOUSE
Attackers realized that trying to break through a low in a muddy ditch. Either place was exposed to
12-foot-wide castle wall was like trying to t­ unnel ­defending archers in the towers above.
through the earth. So they concentrated their
efforts on breaching the entrance, which was TWIN TOWERS
already a hole in the wall. In response, castle gates Advanced gatehouses featured a tower jutting out
grew from simple tower structures into complex on either side of the first gate. The towers gave
death traps. defending archers the ability to fire arrows in any
direction near the gate, including toward the castle
DRAWBRIDGE walls.
Drawbridges were a gatehouse’s first line of
defense. The heavy wooden bridge spanned a PORTCULLIS
water-filled moat or ditch and could be raised A portcullis was used to fortify the castle entrance.
and lowered using chains and a hand-powered It was a heavy wooden grate made of hard oak
winch called a windlass. Once the drawbridge was clad with metal. It slid up and down along grooves
raised, invaders were stuck across the moat or in the wall that prevented it from being smashed in.

GATE CRASHING
Drawbridges were effective at hindering
invaders, but they were heavy and slow to
raise. If a castle’s defenses were caught off
guard, the portcullis could be dropped in an
instant. It happened so quickly that unwary
attackers might be crushed beneath it.

34 CASTLE ARCHITECTURE
A well-defended castle would have two or three
portcullises to slow down the most raging enemy
BARBICAN
hoards.

DEATH TRAP RESIDENCE

Once past the first gate, the invaders entered the
barbican, which was a walled-in area between
gates. The barbican was a death trap from all
sides. Arrow loops enabled archers and crossbow-
men stationed behind the walls to attack intruders
with arrows and crossbow bolts. Holes in the roof,
aptly named murder holes, allowed defenders to
drop rocks, tar, or boiling water below.

CONSTABLE’S QUARTERS
Larger gatehouses had residential quarters for the
constable, who was in charge of castle defense
while the lord was away. The constable’s room
was comfortably outfitted with a fireplace and bed,
oddly close to the murder holes in the adjacent
barbican.

Captured nobles or knights might be confined to

the gatehouse residence as a comfortable prison FIRST GATE
where they passed the time until a ransom was
paid for their release. Less valuable prisoners SECOND GATE
would be held captive in the dank dungeon below
the castle keep.

CASTLE ARCHITECTURE 35
THE KEEP
The keep was at the castle’s center both in location keeps had towers of their own, which also served
and function. Keeps could be square or round and the architectural purpose of buttressing the keep’s
were easily the castle’s tallest building. Inside its great height.
fortified walls lived the noble family who enjoyed
private rooms, one of the rarest luxuries of medieval
times. There were also rooms for aristocratic guests,
high-ranking clergy, and esteemed professionals.
Personal servants were given cramped quarters on
the ground floor, one level above the dungeon.

Keeps were so important to the castle’s architec-

ture that basic stone keeps with no walls, towers,
or gatehouses are still referred to as castles.

GREAT HALL
Keeps often featured a great hall, the castle’s
largest room. It served as the lord’s adminis-
trative office, dining room, and recreation area.
­Eating and recreation were frequently combined
at grand feasts accompanied with entertainment
by ­minstrels, jesters, and troubadours.

THE LAST STAND

The keep was the last refuge of castle defenders
who would retreat here if the walls were breached. Keeps could be square or round, and
With ample supplies of food, a keep could with- are easily identifiable as the castle’s
stand a siege for several months. Sometimes tallest building.

36 CASTLE ARCHITECTURE
BAILEY
A bailey’s size and shape were individual to every and residences for skilled laborers, such as black-
castle, and some castles had more than one. A smiths, masons, and carpenters.
small bailey might only have room for a keep, while
a large bailey could contain a village-like selection CHAPEL
of buildings. Religion was at the core of medieval life, and a
chapel was obligatory for day-to-day religious
GARRISON practices. A chapel could be a modest alcove in
A castle’s defensive force was based in the the wall or a grand building with vaulted ceilings.
­barracks, which housed archers and men-at-
arms. Mounted soldiers, such as knights, kept FOOD SUPPLY
their horses in a stable. Knights were usually high During times of war, farm animals were herded into
­ranking enough to sleep in the castle keep. the bailey to protect them from being turned into
tasty meals by adversaries. Some baileys were
REPAIR CREW large enough to contain permanent vegetable
Castle maintenance was an ongoing effort, and farms.
common bailey buildings consisted of workshops

BARRACKS CHAPEL STABLE

CASTLE ARCHITECTURE 37
CHAPTER 4

BUILDING A
LEGO CASTLE

Have you always wanted to build a

castle but don’t have the requisite
pile of gold, scores of workers, and
ten years to complete the project?
No problem! In this chapter, you’ll
learn how to build the four main
components of a castle: walls, towers,
gates, and keeps. You can then use
those components to customize your
own design. Build two castles and
you’ll have a tabletop drama!
BUILD A CASTLE WALL TIP
Use a 1 x 1 clip (#2555) to add
Walls define a castle’s shape. The sample walls here are
!!!!!!!.
crenellations quickly to any wall.
six studs wide, but you can easily expand or reduce the
height and width of a wall to suit your design.

BASIC WALL
Stack bricks of the same length, such as the 1 x 6 bricks 2555
you see here, to make a simple wall.

1
LEGO studs provide
built-in crenellations.

3x
3009

STAGGERED BRICK WALL

Alternate bricks to re-create the look of real brick walls.
Optional bricks
Replace the plain 1 x 2 brick with a modified 1 x 2 brick for a
textured appearance. 98283 2877

1 2

8x 2x
3004 3005

40 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

SNOT BRICK WALL VERSION 1
Combine SNOT bricks with tiles to give a wall more defi-
nition. Use any combination of 1 x 1, 1 x 2, or 1 x 4 SNOT
bricks to build the length you require.

3x 8x 2x 1 2
11211 3069 3070

1x 3x
3666 30414

SNOT BRICK WALL VERSION 2 the SNOT side a square aspect ratio. That means
Released in 2016, SNOT brick #22885 is the SNOT you can use these bricks to build sideways the
brick we’ve all been waiting for. It appears to be same way you build upward but with no gaps
double the height of a standard brick, or six plates between the bricks.
high, but it’s actually five plates high, which gives

10x 4x 1 2
3069 3070

1x 6x
3666 22885

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 41

ANGLED WALL
Use 45-degree walls to add variety to the right angles
­common in LEGO building.

Built-in
arrow loop
or window
1 2
6x 3x
87620 3004

1x
3795

CURVED WALL
Make curved walls to give your castle an organic
­appearance that mimics curves in the landscape.

Built-in
arrow loop

6x 3x
1 2 or window

85080 3004

1x
3795

42 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

ARROW LOOPS CRUMBLING WALL
Replace any 1 x 2 brick with Replace any 1 x 2 brick with
the 1 x 2 Technic brick that has a log brick or two stacks of
an axle hole. three round plates.

32064
30136 4073

CRENELLATIONS
Stop at step 2 to give your wall standard crenella-
tions, or proceed to step 3 to add optional finials.

1 2 3

15573 3005 2555

PARAPET WALK PARAPET WALK WITH

Use panel elements to provide CRENELLATIONS
a smooth parapet walk. Join the parapet walk wall
with the crenellated wall
pictured above.

4865

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 43

BUILD CASTLE TOWERS
Define your castle’s skyline by building soaring towers. Stack bricks to
customize your towers’ heights by adding or removing bricks from the
stacks. You can mix and match tower tops as well.

BASIC SQUARE TOWERS ROUND TOWER 1

Stacking 1 x 1 or 2 x 2 square bricks Make a versatile tower with textured
make basic towers. walls and a cone-shaped roof.

5x 5x 4x 1x
3005 3003 3062 4589

WATCHTOWER ROUND TOWER 2

Add a high tower for a wary watchman. The 2 x 2 version of
Round Tower 1 adds
­stability to tall towers.

1x
6541
OR
1x 6x
3942 3941
1x 5x 1x
2453 3005 22388

44 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

DETAILED ROUND TOWER RESIDENTIAL TOWER
Use plates between bricks to divide a Build a keep-like tower that has enough
tower into different floors. rooms for unexpected guests.

1x 1x
3942 3688

5x 5x 6x 10x
92947 4032 3022 4216

FANCY TOWER ARCHER’S TOWER

Impress onlookers with For the archer’s tower, add arrow
­displays of wealth. loops on every floor to defend
against attackers.

1x 1x
1x
3688 15470
3688

5x 10x 6x 10x
3022 2877 3022 30136

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 45

CARVED STONE TOWER
Use Technic gears to give your castle the
appearance of detailed stonework.

1 2 3
5x 2x
3062 6589

1x 1x
30374 4589

GRACEFUL TURRET TOWER

Create a detailed tower with a crenellated turret
and optional graceful roof.

1 2 3 4

2x 1x 1x
62462 24482 4274

1x 1x 1x
98100 3005 85861

46 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

LARGE TURRET TOWER
Use an upside-down 2 x 2 round brick
to make a microscale turret.

1 2
1x 1x
15535 18674

Attach this
assembly
4x 2x stud-side
92947 3941 down.

MACHICOLATIONS
Add machicolations, which are holes in
a flared turret’s floor, so castle defenders
can drop rocks onto attackers.

1 2 3

5x 1x
3941 32198

1x 1x
30374 15535

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 47

FLARED TOWER WITH CORBELS
Combine a flick missile and a Technic
steering link to create a sophisticated
architecture.

1 2 3
2x 1x 2x
62462 3005 4274

1x 1x 1x
32187 61184 4589

LIGHTHOUSE TOWER
Build a lighthouse tower to light the way for
friendly ships that resupply your castle by sea.

1 2 3

1x 4x
3942 64644

8x 6x
2877 3022

48 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

FALCON’S PERCH
Make a perch on a tower for trained falcons
to nest and live.

1 2 3
2x 4x
90195 4073

1x 3x
3688 3003

GOTHIC TOWER
Form a perfect Gothic arch in a tower using teeth
bricks attached sideways into Technic bricks.

1 2 3
4x 4x
3700 49668

1x 3x
3688 3003

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 49

DECORATIVE TOWER
Use SNOT bricks to create prestigious architecture.

2 3 4
1x 6x 1x
3069 15573 3023

1x 3x
3022 2412
1

1x 3x
3688 22885

FANTASY TOWER
Use a wheel hub and unicorn horn to make
a fairytale tower.

3 4

2x 1x 1x 2
3673 89522 85861
1

1x 2x
55981 62462

50 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

TALL WINDOW TOWER DOUBLE TURRET TOWER
Add to your castle’s appeal by constructing a Use minifigure binoculars to create two
residential tower with a double-height room. microscale turrets.

1 2 1 2
1x 1x 1x 1x
2412 22388 30162 22388

1x 1x 1x 1x 1x 1x
15716 3005 87087 15716 3005 87087

TOWER TOPPERS
Make your towers even taller with an ornate tower
topper. Consider your minifigure’s ­accessories as
possible architectural ornaments.

24482 94158 90398

15470 90540 98139

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 51

BUILD A CASTLE GATE
A gate is your castle’s connection to the world. Place a
tower on both sides of a gate for defense and design.

BASIC GATE BASIC ARCHED GATE

Make a gate with LEGO’s earliest bricks. Use an arch brick to form the basic gate.

1x 4x 1x 4x
3010 3005 3659 3005

SMALL GATE SHARP TOOTH GATE

Add this simple but stylish gate to your castle. Include a spiked gate to make a fierce first
impression.

1x
1 2
3069 1x
11211

1x
90195 1x 1x
90195 15208

52 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

PARAPET WALK GATE WOODEN DOOR GATE
Build a parapet walk above the gate so soldiers Add a heavy wooden door reinforced with metal
can use it to patrol and archers can take up their strapping to resist attacks.
positions in the columns.

1x 2x 1x 2x 4x
30413 32028 94161 3005 2555

1x 2x 2x 1x 1x
3659 3005 4070 30044 3659

STATUE GATE PORTCULLIS GATE

Create a gate that is decorative and features a Make a heavy portcullis that you can drop quickly
statue of the castle’s creator. It looks like you. to thwart sneak attacks.

4x 2x 1x 1x 2x
3005 15070 90398 30046 15573

1x 1x 2x 1x 1x 6x
3659 15573 2555 30044 3659 3005

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 53

SMALL DECORATIVE GATE SMALL GATEHOUSE WITH RESIDENCE
Include a clean, refined gate for a 1 x 2 space. Build a gate that has residential quarters for
the castle’s constable.

2x 1x
1x 1x 4070 2555
32028 4589

1x 1x 1x 1x
90195 15573 90195 15573

CARVED STONE GATE

Use gears and open studs to make circular
carvings in stone.

1 2
2x 2x 3x 2x
87087 3005 6589 4073

1x 1x 1x
3659 30374 3794

54 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

TORCH GATE
Add two torches to provide an inviting
entranceway at night.

1x 1x 1x 2x 4x 2x 3x 3x 2x
30044 3666 3659 87087 3005 4589 15573 32028 4697

1x 2x
94161 98283

1 2

3 4

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 55

BUILD A DRAWBRIDGE
A working drawbridge gives your castle a movable play feature.

BASIC DRAWBRIDGE
All you need to make a serviceable drawbridge is
a small assembly. Place towers on each side to
complete the entrance.

1x 1x 1x 1x 1x
30350 90195 3004 2432 3022

DRAWBRIDGE WITH CHAINS

Use SNOT bricks to attach chains to your
drawbridge. 1x 3x
15573 2555

2x 1x 1x 1x 1x 1x 1x 1x
92338 3020 30350 3659 2432 3004 87087 3005

2 3 4
1

56 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

BUILD A GATEHOUSE
Gatehouses are complex structures that look like mini castles.

2x 1x 2x 10x 2x 2x 2x 2x
92338 30350 3942 3941 17485 18674 15535 4274

3x 2x 4x 4x 1x 4x 3x 5x 5x
90195 3010 32064 98283 2432 4070 32028 15573 2555

1x 2x 1x 1x 4x 1x
3031 3795 3001 3002 3003 3043

1
1x 2x 1x 1x

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 57

 2
4x 1x

3
2x 4x

4
3x 3x

58 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

 5
4x

6
2x 8x 1x

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 59

 7
4x 5x 5x

2x 2x

2x 2x

2x

60 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

 9
2x 1x

TIP
The 2 x 2 round brick with a hole (#17485) is a
rare piece. You can replace the round towers with
the common pieces in used in this square tower.

1x 1x
3004 3700

4x 1x
3003 3043

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 61

BUILD A CASTLE KEEP
Keeps are often a castle’s largest and grandest building.
They can also be a simple castle’s only building.
TIP
You can use a large tower
BASIC KEEP in place of a keep, as is
Basic bricks have no textured surfaces, so create common in real-life castles.
interest by making a polygonal building footprint. A tower keep is sometimes
called the great tower, or
donjon.

6x 1x 20x
3003 3043 3005

1 2

62 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

SQUARE KEEP
Use this keep as a stand-alone castle on a small,
3 x 3 stud base.

4x 8x 1x 5x 4x 1x 4x 1x
3710 2412 4733 22388 3070 3024 2453 14716

1 2 3 4 5

ROUND KEEP
For a cylindrical keep, use curved bricks to
provide built-in arrow loops or windows.
3
2
16x 1x
85080 4589

1x 1x 5x
3953 3942 60474

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 63

TEXTURED ROUND KEEP
Use a round Technic brick to create a realistic stone
brick-like surface in microscale builds.

1x 1x 1x 1x 2x 3x 6x 2x 10x
60485 6233 3942 11212 3622 4490 98585 3024 3070

1 2 3

2x 3x 2x 7x
3x

1x

64 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

 Place the cylindrical
section on top of the
square section using
the two exposed studs.

4 5 6 7

1x
5x 1x 1x

1x

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 65

TALL KEEP
Build a lofty residential keep that rises gracefully
skyward.

2x 1x 7x 1x 3x 20x 2x 2x
3685 30044 3020 3659 3010 30136 87087 3005

1x 4x 1x 3x 2x
94161 32028 15573 4589 4697

1 2 3

1x 2x 2x 4x
3x

2x 2x
1x 1x 1x

66 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

 4 5

20x RAISE THE FLAG

Give your castle a festive and
2x 1x 1x
triumphant appearance by add-
ing an easy-to-build flag atop
any tower or keep.
6x

3957 30374 61252

4495 63868

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 67

CARVED SANDSTONE KEEP
Add an ornate keep that is made more for style
than warfare.

2x 4x 1x 1x 2x 16x 4x 24x 4x
3031 90195 3688 3003 3003 3004 15571 4070 3062

1 2

24x
20x 20x

16x

6x

68 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

 3 4 5

32x
1x 1x 4x
1x 4x

Each stack is eight bricks tall.

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 69

PUTTING YOUR CASTLE TOGETHER
Now that you know how to build castle compo- your collection with Bricklink (www.bricklink.com)
nents, it’s time to join them together into your or official LEGO sets. On the facing page is an
own castle! Build a replica of a real castle or make instantly recognizable castle that you can make
a custom fantasy castle. Castles come in many with the most basic LEGO bricks.
shapes and sizes, so there’s no right or wrong way
to build one. Some castles consist of just a stand- TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
alone keep, and some concentric castles have Choose a baseplate for your castle’s foundation. In
no keep but lots of towers and extensive walls. microscale building, the baseplate can be as small
The design choice is yours. It’s easy to change as 4 x 4. A 16 x 16 baseplate has enough room for
the height of castle towers and keeps to suit your a castle and some village buildings. To make a cus-
vision, and you can customize the height and width tom size baseplate, you can attach plates to each
of castle walls. other by making a double layer of plates.

Remember that LEGO’s first official castle set was Place your keep and towers first, and then add
bright yellow, so don’t just limit your colors to earth the walls and gate. If you build the walls first, the
tones. Use the bricks you already own, or add to enclosed space might not be big enough for your
planned castle, or your hands for that matter!

TIP
Walls can be any size from narrow Vary the height of your castle’s
and tall to wide and stout. towers for visual interest.

70 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

CASTLE INSPIRATION
The following castles are made with the gates, towers, walls,
and keeps you learned to build in this chapter.

BASIC BRICKS
The newest LEGO element in this castle is the sloped roof
piece, which was released in 1959. Even when you’re using
only basic bricks, you can build anything with LEGO bricks.

+ + + +
1x 2x 1x 5x 1x

SQUARE KEEP
This castle’s fearsome appearance belies its tiny
size. It fits on a 4 x 4 plate!

+ +
1x 1x 1x

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 71

FAIRYTALE CASTLE
Towers of different heights combine to form an
inspiring fairy tale castle on a 4 x 4 baseplate.

+ + + + +
1x 1x 2x 2x 1x 1x

ANCIENT CASTLE
Mixing square and round towers give the appear-
ance of a castle that has changed over time.

+ + +
1x 1x 1x 1x

72 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

TOWER DEFENSE
This sky full of towers has a 6 x 6 baseplate foundation.

+ + +
1x 5x 2x 1x

GOLDEN GATE
An 8 x 8 base allows you to build large towers and gates.

+ + +
1x 3x 1x 3x

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 73

DECORATIVE CASTLE
This impressive architectural design has
a 10 x 10 baseplate foundation.

+ +

1x 4x

+
1x 3x

74 BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE

THE WORKS
Inspire awe throughout your kingdom with
this design.

+ + + +

1x 1x 1x 1x

+ + + +
3x 1x 1x 1x 3x

BUILDING A LEGO CASTLE 75

CHAPTER 5

MAKING A
MEDIEVAL
VILLAGE

The presence of castles helped tame

lawlessness in their surrounding
areas. The promise of security made
the local population comfortable
with putting down roots in villages
near the castle. In this chapter, you’ll
learn how to build structures for your
LEGO village and create an authentic
landscape for your castle and village.
BUILDING THE VILLAGE
Every village is unique, and you can choose any
combination of buildings to suit your village’s size,
purpose, and appearance.

HOUSES
Headlight bricks make excellent one-piece wooden
houses that you can customize with different roofs.
Use a tan headlight brick to represent plaster houses.

4070 35464 54200 22388 Straw Roof Slate Roof Wood Roof

TAVERN
Enjoy some pottage stew at your village’s local tavern. Pottage
was cooked over multiple days using vegetables, grains, and
whatever other ingredients happened to be available.

4x
4070
4x
54200
1x
3023
1 2

1x 1x 1x
3700 3004 32028

78 MAKING A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE

WINDMILL
Used to grind corn or grain into flour, windmills were
usually controlled by the local lord, who took a significant
share of the peasant’s crop.

1 2
1x 4x 1x
15397 3069 3024

1x 1x 1x
3040 2877 47905

FESTIVAL TENTS
Medieval festivals featured plenty of worldly
entertainment, such as dancing, music, and jousts.

2x 1x 1x 1x 1x
30374 4070 4589 61252 54200

1x 1x 2x 2x 3x
3942 3942 4032 4032 4032

MAKING A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE 79

WATERMILL
Watermills were used to grind grain, mill wood, and press
olive oil. Give your village some hydropower and start an
industrial revolution.

1x 2x 2x 1x 1x 1x 1x 1x
2470 3941 2877 4488 3022 18674 3023 4073

1 2 3

BLACKSMITH’S FORGE
A blacksmith’s metal tools were considered advanced
technology in medieval times.

2x 4x
3005 54200 1 2

1x 1x 1x
3700 3004 4589

80 MAKING A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE

CHURCH
Churches were central to medieval village life, and even
the smallest settlement had one.

1x 1x 2x 1x 2x 1x 1x 2x
3688 4490 3004 3700 3005 32028 3023 54200

1 2 3

STABLE
Board your horse in this well-managed stable, complete
with hay loft.

8x
54200 1 2

1x 1x 4x
15332 3020 2877

MAKING A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE 81

GRANARY
A granary stored and preserved grains for lean times.
Raise your granaries off the ground to keep grains dry
and pest-free.

4x 2x 8x
2877 85984 4073

MASON’S LODGE
Build a fancy home office for your master mason.

2x
15571
1x
2540
1x
3023
1 2

2x 1x 1x 1x
3004 4216 3700 4073

DOCK
Build a dock so boats can stop in your town.

1x 4x
6636 4073

82 MAKING A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE

SMALL SAILBOAT
Small sailboats can deliver supplies or ferry people and
animals on calm water.

1x 1x
87747 3794

COG
Add some cogs to your village. Cogs are large, flat-­bottomed
vessels used as cargo ships or military transports.

1x 2x 1x
4070 3005 3024

1x 1x 1x
30350 4697 54200

CARAVEL
Explore strange new worlds with this seafaring ship.

2x 2x 1x 5x
11089 4070 54200 3024

MAKING A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE 83

BARRACKS
Your town guard is based in the barracks along with a
good number of rodents.

2x 3x 1x 1x 1x 6x
3021 30136 3004 4216 32064 54200

1 2 3

TREES
Mix and match these two-brick combinations to create a
tended garden or wild woodland.

64727 + 33183 + 33183 + 4589 + 89522 + 33291 +

33291 33291 33291 4073 85861 4073

84 MAKING A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE

TOWN HALL
As your village grows, you might eventually need a town
hall where councilors can meet to manage the city.

1x 1x 3x 2x 5x 3x 1x 2x
3009 3003 3043 3004 2877 3700 3004 54200

1 2

3 4

MAKING A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE 85

CREATING THE VILLAGE LANDSCAPE
A LEGO landscape provides both an attractive setting
and a firm foundation for your castle village. THE BASE
You can arrange your castle
village on a table top without
attaching it to a base, or secure
all the buildings to a LEGO base.
LEGO makes large 48 x 48 and
32 x 32 baseplates that offer a
one-piece solution for setting
up a thriving town. For smaller
villages and ­castles, you can use
a 16 x 16 plate. You can also
use ten 4 x 10 plates to make a
custom 20 x 20 base shown here.

To make a custom base, arrange

the plates in your desired size
and shape, and then join the plate
seams from below as shown here.
Use bricks or plates to join the
seams. Keep the outward ­facing
colors the same. No one will see
the interior pieces, so you can use
any color.

86 MAKING A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE

 WATER
A river, lake, or ocean shoreline
provides great benefits to
your village. Easy-to-build
microscale sailboats and
watermills add a sense of
motion to your LEGO world.
Water features also provide
some breathing space between
the village’s buildings.

THE BLUES
Use any shade of blue or
transparent blue to create
water features. Brick size
doesn’t matter.

BEDROCK
Once you’ve placed your water
bricks, create the surrounding
bedrock so it’s level with the
water. Keep the outward facing
bricks the same color as the
baseplate. The interior bricks
will soon be covered up, so
they can be any color. As with
building water features, brick
size is not important here. Use
whatever bricks you have.

MAKING A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE 87

LANDSCAPING
For a realistic appearance, build your landscape so
it’s at least one brick taller than the water. You can
use whatever color you like, but any shade of green or
earth tone works well. 3037 3039 3040

SLOPES
Use slope bricks to add a natural incline to the water’s
edge. Leave some gaps in the slopes for future water-
mill, dock, and drawbridge placement.

4445

88 MAKING A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE

LAYING OUT YOUR VILLAGE FUTURE GROWTH
Place your castle and village It’s easy to expand your city by
buildings wherever you think adding new baseplates. The only
they look best. You can always limit is the size of your home!
rearrange them later.

MAKING A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE 89

CHAPTER 6

CASTLE
MASTER BUILDS

The rest of the book contains

instructions for six LEGO castle
master builds, complete with bases
and brick-built landscapes. Each
castle features different building
techniques you can use for your
own custom designs.
SLEEPING DRAGON
This opulent castle protects the ancient Sleeping Dragon
statue hidden behind the waterfall. Legend has it the
dragon will come to life if the river stops flowing.

1x 6x 1x 6x 1x 6x 2x 2x 6x 2x
90195 61184 41535 62462 87747 32187 24482 24482 54200 54200

12x 2x 7x 1x 1x 2x 5x 2x 2x 2x 4x 2x
87620 87580 4032 15573 15573 32028 3069 90540 30162 15070 2555 3070

1x 1x 1x 2x 2x 8x 3x 2x 1x 6x 14x 6x
3455 30413 3659 4490 3942 92947 3700 87087 6541 4589 4073 4274

1x 2x 8x 12x 4x 1x 2x 2x 2x 2x 4x 2x 2x
3685 3684 4460 2449 14716 3678 60481 3688 3665 15571 3040 3040 49668

12x 26x 1x 1x 5x 9x 13x 2x 6x 1x 2x 3x

2456 3001 3010 3010 3003 3004 3004 2877 3005 3005 3024 3024

SLEEPING DRAGON 93
1x 1x 1x 3x 1x
92438 4282 3028 3032 2571

2x 6x 4x 2x 4x 3x 3x 1x 6x 28x
2445 4162 3069 3598 3020 3020 3710 3022 3023 3023

Upside-down view

1x 2x 1

1x 2x 4x

94 SLEEPING DRAGON
 2

6x 4x

28x

Use any combination of grey

4 plates to fill in the grey area.

2x 2x

1x 2x
Leave the red outlined area open.

SLEEPING DRAGON 95
 5

6x 6x

12x

6x

96 SLEEPING DRAGON
 7

1x

6x

1x 1x

8x 2x

SLEEPING DRAGON 97
 9

1x 2x

1x 1x

10

1x

3x 2x

98 SLEEPING DRAGON
 11

1x 1x

2x 2x 1x

12

2x 4x

1x 2x

SLEEPING DRAGON 99
 13

1x 1x

2x 1x

14

1x 1x 1x

2x 4x 1x

100 SLEEPING DRAGON

 15

1x

2x

16

3x 2x

1x 1x

SLEEPING DRAGON 101

 17

1x 3x 14x

1x 3x

18

2x 3x 3x 2x 2x

1x 1x 1x

102 SLEEPING DRAGON

 19

1x 2x

2x 1x

20

2x 4x

SLEEPING DRAGON 103

 21

2x 2x 2x

22

2x 12x

104 SLEEPING DRAGON

 23

1x 1x

1x 1x 2x

24

1x 1x 1x

SLEEPING DRAGON 105

 25

2x 2x 2x

1x 2x 2x

26

4x 4x

1x

106 SLEEPING DRAGON

 27

2x 4x

2x 2x

28

2x 2x

1x 1x

SLEEPING DRAGON 107

 4x 3x 29

1x 1x

108 SLEEPING DRAGON

4x 4x 30

1x 1x

SLEEPING DRAGON 109

 2x 2x 2x
31

2x 2x

x2
110 SLEEPING DRAGON
4x 4x 4x
32

4x 4x

x4
SLEEPING DRAGON 111
LAND’S END
Take in the ocean view and keep watch for seafaring
enemies from this castle’s towering lighthouse.

7x 4x 1x 3x 1x
3023 3005 54200 3024 15470

4x 2x 2x 4x 1x 1x 1x
90195 3043 15571 15571 30374 87747 3794

1x 6x 12x 12x 2x 4x 2x 2x 1x 16x 5x 2x

6081 6091 3941 92947 2540 64644 89522 4589 4070 4070 3062 6589

6x 1x 6x 4x 4x 2x 1x 1x 4x 3x
2339 3684 4460 2449 3942 60481 3298 3039 3660 3665

6x 16x 3x 1x 4x 1x 8x 4x 2x 1x
3001 3001 3003 3003 3010 3622 3004 2877 3022 3022

6x 1x 1x 1x 12x 1x 6x 2x 4x 1x
4162 4162 6636 3068 3068 87580 3069 3069 3069 3069

LAND’S END 113

2x 2x 1x 1x
3031 3795 3020 3020

1x 2x 1x 1x 4x 2x
92438 2445 2445 3034 3034 3795

1x 2x

1x 4x Upside-down view

114 LAND’S END

 2

6x 2x

10x 1x 4x

4
1x 4x

2x 1x You can use any combination of

light gray plates to fill in this area.

LAND’S END 115

 5

2x

2x 2x 2x

1x 3x

116 LAND’S END

 8

1x 1x 3x

1x

10

2x 2x

LAND’S END 117

 11

9x

12

3x

118 LAND’S END

 13

3x

3x 2x

14

1x 1x 1x

1x 1x 1x

LAND’S END 119

 15

6x

16

1x 1x 1x

120 LAND’S END

 17

1x 1x

1x 2x

18

6x

LAND’S END 121

 19

1x 3x 1x

20

6x 1x

122 LAND’S END

 21

1x 1x

1x 2x

22

1x 2x 1x

LAND’S END 123

 23

1x 1x

1x 1x

24

1x 1x 1x

2x 1x

124 LAND’S END

 25

4x

26

1x 4x

1x 1x

LAND’S END 125

 27

1x

1x 1x

28

2x 2x 2x 8x

126 LAND’S END

 29 The castle’s front and
back are identical.

2x 8x

2x 2x

30

1x 2x

LAND’S END 127

 4x 12x 8x

31

128 LAND’S END

1x 3x 1x 2x

32

LAND’S END 129

 1x 2x 1x

33

130 LAND’S END

1x 5x 4x 1x

34

LAND’S END 131

132 
RIVER GATE
Build a complex castle that’s small enough to fit in the palm of
your hand. River Gate features five towers, a protected harbor,
a great keep, curtain walls, multiple bailey buildings, and
detailed landscape features—all on an 8 x 8 plate!

14x 5x 2x 2x 1x 1x 3x 5x
3062 4589 54200 54200 61252 2555 3024 3070

4x 1x 6x 4x 1x 1x 2x 1x
4032 32028 3023 3023 3023 15573 4070 4070

1x 1x 8x 5x 1x 1x 1x 2x
4490 3021 87620 92947 3068 3069 30374 87087

2x 1x 1x 1x 1x 1x 4x 1x 1x
4460 3942 90195 92338 3046 4286 3040 3045 15571

1x 1x 6x 2x 1x 1x 3x 2x 2x
41539 3034 3001 3003 3004 3004 2877 3005 6541

RIVER GATE 133

 1

1x 6x

1x 1x 6x 3x

1x 1x 5x

134 RIVER GATE

 4

2x 1x 1x

2x

2x 1x
6

2x 1x

RIVER GATE 135

 1x 5x 4x 1x 2x

7 8

136 RIVER GATE

 2x 1x

1x 2x 2x

1x 1x 1x

9 10

RIVER GATE 137

 1x 2x

4x 1x

2x 1x

11 12

138 RIVER GATE

 1x 1x 3x 6x

13 14

RIVER GATE 139

 1x 1x

1x 2x

1x 1x

15 16

140 RIVER GATE

 4x 2x

6x 2x
1x 1x

17 18

RIVER GATE 141

WINTER PALACE
In the unmapped regions of the North, a golden castle
shimmers above a warm water current. Some say the
Winter Palace is just a myth, but travel far enough, and
you’ll find it.

1x 1x 1x 3x 2x 23x 4x 1x
56145 90391 19121 62462 90540 3069 85861 85861

2x 8x 4x 3x 2x 9x 1x 3x 1x 2x 1x 4x 1x
3685 4460 2449 55981 3942 92947 3665 3673 4589 89522 89522 3024 54200

10x 2x 10x 3x 1x 2x 1x 3x 6x 2x
3001 3020 3020 3021 3022 3023 3023 3005 15070 3024

1x 2x 2x 2x 4x 1x 3x
3033 6112 3008 4162 6636 93273 11477

WINTER PALACE 143

 1

2x

2x 2x

10x

10x

144 WINTER PALACE

 4

2x 4x

2x 3x 2x

23x

WINTER PALACE 145

 7

2x 2x

2x

1x 2x 3x

146 WINTER PALACE

 10

1x 1x 1x

11

1x 1x 1x 1x

12

1x 1x

WINTER PALACE 147

 13

1x 1x

14

3x 3x

15

1x 1x

148 WINTER PALACE

 16

5x

17

2x 1x 1x

BRIDGES
Customize your
bridge using an
alternate piece
=
with 1 x 4 x 2
dimensions.
19121 15332 6182

WINTER PALACE 149

 1x 1x 1x 1x 1x

1x 4x 1x 5x

18 19

150 WINTER PALACE

 1x 1x 1x 1x 1x

20 21
Place the tower you
assembled in step 20.

WINTER PALACE 151

 2x 2x

2x 1x 1x

Place the tower you

assembled in step 22.

22 23

152 WINTER PALACE

 1x 2x Attach the great-hall-like
assembly from step 24 into
the inverted 1 x 2 slope’s
open stud. Support the
inverted slope from below
1x 1x with your hand as you
attach.

24 25

Push the spear through

all the other pieces.
The spear’s bottom
end should protrude
beneath the assembly
by 1/4 inch, which we’ll
use to attach to the
model.

WINTER PALACE 153

EIGHT ARCHES
One of architecture’s most beautiful features, arches also
serve the practical purpose of transferring downward grav-
itational forces out to the arch’s sides. This allows large
spans to be made without midway supports. This castle
features eight arches in its graceful bridges and gates.

3x 2x 1x 6x 6x 5x 5x 1x
14716 85863 11610 2412 54200 22388 2555 33291

4x 1x 5x 3x 4x 2x 4x 1x 1x 1x
3001 3010 3659 4490 3003 3004 3004 3004 3005 33183

1x 3x 9x 1x 1x 1x 1x 4x 6x 3x 16x
2453 3685 4460 3678 60481 3038 3040 3040 87087 6541 3005

1x 4x 3x 2x 2x 1x 1x 2x 12x
4162 4162 6636 6636 3022 3022 3023 3023 3023

EIGHT ARCHES 155

1x 3x 2x 2x
92438 3031 3022 3023

2x 2x 12x 1

1x

3x

156 EIGHT ARCHES

 3

4x 2x

2x 1x

1x 1x

3x 1x

EIGHT ARCHES 157

 6

3x

4x 1x

1x

2x

158 EIGHT ARCHES

 8

3x 1x

1x 1x

1x

1x 1x

EIGHT ARCHES 159

 10

1x

1x 4x

11

3x 4x

160 EIGHT ARCHES

 12

1x 1x

5x

13

3x

1x

EIGHT ARCHES 161

 14

1x 1x

1x 2x 1x

15

6x

162 EIGHT ARCHES

 16

2x 4x

17

2x 4x

2x

EIGHT ARCHES 163

 1x 1x 1x 1x

18

164 EIGHT ARCHES

1x 1x 1x 1x 1x

19

EIGHT ARCHES 165

 1x 1x 5x 3x 1x 2x

20

166 EIGHT ARCHES

6x 1x 1x

21

EIGHT ARCHES 167

MOUNTAIN KINGDOM
Build a kingdom hidden above the clouds. You decide
what mysteries are to be found there. This castle uses
Technic gears as fancy architectural ornaments.

1x 2x 2x 1x 4x 4x 1x 8x
30044 92338 30374 30046 18041 64644 90398 4073

1x 1x 8x 2x 1x 1x 2x 7x 2x 5x
14716 30350 3068 87580 32269 32198 3069 3069 3069 6589

4x 4x 2x 1x 1x 6x 3x 7x 12x 4x 7x 2x
3665 3048 3048 85984 2432 30136 87087 4070 3062 4589 22388 85861

2x 2x 9x 2x 8x 2x 3x 5x 10x 6x
3685 2449 4460 3678 60481 3039 3045 3040 3004 3005

19x 2x 1x 6x 2x 10x 1x 3x 1x
3001 3001 3001 3010 3659 3003 3003 3004 3005

MOUNTAIN KINGDOM 169

2x 1x 2x 1x 4x 4x
3036 3035 3007 4162 2456 3795

2x 2x 1x 1x 3x 4x 1x 1x 6x
3031 3710 3021 3021 3623 3022 3023 3024 3024

2x 2x

1x 4x

2x 2x Upside-down view

170 MOUNTAIN KINGDOM

 2

8x 1x

4x 2x

2x 1x

4
1x 1x

1x 1x

MOUNTAIN KINGDOM 171

 5

1x

4x

3x 1x

1x 1x 1x

172 MOUNTAIN KINGDOM

 7

2x

8x

2x 1x

MOUNTAIN KINGDOM 173

 9

1x 1x

1x 2x 2x

1x 1x

10

1x

4x 1x

1x 1x

174 MOUNTAIN KINGDOM

 11

4x 2x 2x

2x 1x 1x

2x 1x 1x

12

3x 2x 1x

1x 2x

MOUNTAIN KINGDOM 175

 13

6x 6x

1x 1x

14

4x 1x 1x

2x 1x

1x 5x

176 MOUNTAIN KINGDOM

 15

1x 12x

1x 1x

1x 2x 1x

16

1x 2x 8x

1x 2x

2x 1x

MOUNTAIN KINGDOM 177

 17

1x 1x 3x

3x 1x 4x

18
3x

3x 1x 1x

2x 1x

178 MOUNTAIN KINGDOM

 19

1x 1x

1x 1x

1x 1x 1x

20

1x 1x

1x 1x 1x

1x 1x

MOUNTAIN KINGDOM 179

 1x 1x 1x 1x 2x

21

180 MOUNTAIN KINGDOM

1x 4x 4x 4x 2x

22

MOUNTAIN KINGDOM 181

 1x 2x 6x

23

182 MOUNTAIN KINGDOM

1x 4x 1x

24

MOUNTAIN KINGDOM 183

 THE LEGO CASTLE BOOK
®

BUILD THE LEGO CASTLE OF YOUR DREAMS!

®

Filled with stunning photos, step-by-step instructions, and creative ideas for customization, The LEGO Castle Book
shows you how to build mini castles complete with moats, drawbridges, gatehouses, and more! Build a castle using BUILD YOUR OWN MINI MEDIEVAL WORLD
basic bricks or make one of the six master builds. Create your own medieval village with windmills, taverns, and

THE LEGO CASTLE BOOK

chapels. Travel through the history of castle architecture and learn how to build walls, towers, gates, and keeps.

Whether your goal is to add realistic details like crenellations, turrets, and parapets to your designs or to create a
believable medieval setting, you’ll find endless inspiration in The LEGO Castle Book.

®
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jeff Friesen is an award-winning photographer and LEGO enthusiast whose work has been exhibited in the United
States, Canada, Europe, and Japan. In 2017, he was awarded the Brothers Brick LEGO Creation of the Year. He posts

Jeff Friesen
his popular LEGO photography on Instagram (@jeff_works). Friesen lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

$24.95 US
THE FINEST IN GEEK ENTERTAINMENT™ This book is not authorized $33.95 CAN

Jeff Friesen
www.nostarch.com or endorsed by the LEGO Group. Shelve in: Hobbies/LEGO
Ages 7 and up