When we come across a fantasy castle in a story, it sparks our imaginations. We imagine the stonework, the parapets, the swallowtail flags flapping in the breeze, and the soldiers lined up along the walls. And some of the battle scenes involving fantasy castles are quite simply mind-blowing.

These structures are unmistakable—looming, stone fortresses that dominate landscapes, and which dominate so many of our favourite fantasy stories. 

But how do we come up with ideas for such castles and keeps? How do we find inspiration for that beautiful fantasy castle that lives long in our memories? And how do we describe a castle in a story that blows readers away?

ContentsWhat Is A Fantasy Castle?Fantasy Castle Art GalleryFantasy Castle Layout And BlueprintsFantasy Castle Designs And IdeasBeautiful Fantasy CastlesWhat Fantasy Castles Are Inspired By Real Castles?How Do You Describe A Castle In Writing?How Do You Come Up With Ideas For A Fantasy Castle?More Guides On Fantasy CastlesWhat Is A Fantasy Castle?

When we think back to some of our favourite fantasy books, there will undoubtedly be some that feature a castle or two.

For me, the one that springs to mind is Legend by David Gemmell. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, it’s basically about the greatest army of all time besieging the greatest fantasy castle ever built. Well worth checking out, especially given Gemmell’s symbology—he wrote the tale when he was suffering from cancer. The army represents the cancerous cells within him, and the fortress is him, resisting. 

Another famous fantasy castle can be found in Lord of the Rings. In fact, two decisive battles in the books are sieges—Helms Deep and Minas Tirith.

Fantasy Castle Art Gallery Fantasy Castle Layout And Blueprints

If you’re trying to visualize the interior of your fantasy castle, floor plans, layouts and blueprints can come in handy. Firstly, by using them you can ensure that you’ve included all of the essential rooms. You don’t want to spend an age making something and then realise you’ve not included any privies (toilets).

Secondly, in laying out our blueprint you can properly understand where all of your characters may be positioned at any given time. You’ve probably read a scene in a fantasy book involving a castle under attack. Characters are split up and have to find each other before making their escape. If you’ve laid out your castle using a floor plan, you can follow their every movement and work out which parts could be ripe for problematic obstacles. 

To help give you more of an idea of how to approach creating a fantasy caslte layout, let’s take a look at some examples:

Now you have some examples, try sketching out your own. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

If you’re not sure what features to add, why not check out my guide to medieval castles here. You can learn about all the different structures and rooms that were found in a castle and what their purpose was.

Fantasy Castle Designs And Ideas

We’ve spoken much about the medieval castle, but not much about the fantasy castle. So in this section, we’re going to look at some awesome fantasy castle designs which may give you some ideas and inspiration for your own writing. For even more ideas and inspiration for fantasy castle designs, including images and examples, head over to my Pinterest page. 

This one here would be very fitting in a dark fantasy story!

For more fantasy castle art, head to Pinterest. You can also check out Deviantart for more. Deviantart is the world’s largest online social media platform for artists and a hub for amazing sci-fi and fantasy art.

Beautiful Fantasy Castles

As well as the wonderful concept art above, I’ve also included some great images that capture what the essence of truly beautiful fantasy castles. And that is, that it should take the breath away. inspire intrigue and curiosity. Make you want to explore, or to fear.

Here are some fantastic examples of a beautiful fantasy castle.

What Fantasy Castles Are Inspired By Real Castles?

When we encounter a fantasy castle in fiction, there is undoubtedly some kind of real-world influence. From the shape of parapets to conical towers, many fantasy writers draw their inspiration from fortifications that existed in the past.

In this section, I wanted to show you some real-life examples of fantasy castles to give you an idea of how writers can delve into the past to create their own fictional fortresses.

Petra, Jordan

While not a medieval castle as such, the structures carved into the rocky cliffs of Petra inspired my own fantasy castle in Pariah’s Lament.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Petra dates back to 312 BC and here it is, still standing in 2021. Its structures include tombs, temples, a treasury and an amphitheatre.

Imagine the ways that you could adapt something like this to your creations.

Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire

Arguably the inspiration for that famous school of witchcraft and wizardry, Hogwarts in Harry Potter is said to have been based on Kenilworth Castle, found in Warwickshire, England.

Like Hogwarts, Kenilworth Castle has a sprawling lake, known as a mere, which provided much-needed defence from attacks. Curiously, this moat was man-made by damming two streams.

Maiden Castle, Dorset

Maiden Castle is said to be part of the inspiration behind the iconic Minas Tirith in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, namely featuring in the Return Of The King.

Minas Tirith was known for its layered rings which rose gradually as it climbed the peak of the hillside.

Maiden Castle is of a similar design. First occupied around 6,000 years ago, it was developed heavily in the Iron Age into a vast settlement, heavily fortified with earthwork ramparts and ditches.

Just imagine such a feature for your own fantasy castle. Defenders could fall back in stages if overran, bleeding the attackers out as they progress through the defensive fortifications.

Dover Castle

One of the strangest fantasy castles, and one that often gets queried by fantasy writers and readers, is the Eyrie from Game of Thrones. Seemingly sitting atop a slender mountaintop, with its most iconic feature being the ‘Moon Door’ through which people are hurled to plummet through clouds to their death, it lived long in the memories of many readers and watchers.

But surely it’s not based on a real medieval castle? Well, don’t get too excited. In fact, aspects of The Eyrie are inspired by medieval history.

Features such as the ‘Moon Door’ are no different from murder holes, or machicolations to give them their formal French title. Many a medieval castle has such a feature, but rather than throwing prisoners through them, they were more used for defending the walls from attackers, with burning pitch and skull-crushing stones dropped through.

In terms of the height of the Eyrie, Beeston Castle is an example of a fortification that was built upon a hill. Little remains of this medieval castle, but its location was no doubt selected to be visible to all—a symbol of power. In medieval writings, it was referred to as Castellum de Rupe or the Castle on the Rock.

How Do You Describe A Castle In Writing?

If you’re looking for ways to describe a castle in writing, such as a story or a h istory project, help is at hand. 

There are a few simple approaches you can adopt and each one achieves different things. 

First, I like to think of unique ways of describing the castle. Readers will get bored if you go down the “a stone structure with four towers in the corners and walls joining them”. A good technique is to sit and think of the uniqueness of the castle and how you can convey that image to other readers in ways that help them see what you’re seeing.

One of the best ways to do this is to use relatable metaphors and similes. To describe the parapets of a castle wall as “stone teeth”, or the “gate being as solid as a shield made of butter”, helps create imagery in the reader’s mind. The clearer that image the better.

Another effective method of describing a castle in a story is to use the 5 senses.

Let’s take a look at how each sense can liven up your descriptions beyond just visual imagery:

Sound – medieval castles were busy places, with lots going on. There would have been peasants working in the baileys, tending to animals like pigs and horses. There may have been barracks in which soldiers are training, with steel clanging and clashing. Archers may have been practising too, with arrows thudding into targets. Think of industries too, like blacksmiths who may have been forging weapons and armor. This is just a snapshot of the potential sounds of a medieval fantasy castle.Smell – like the above, smells will also accompany a lot of the sources of noise. So animals will stink, moats (often used for dumping excrement in) were stinky things. Clothmakers and tanners all worked in very smelly places too.Taste – medieval food included the likes of game, and roasting meat such as pigs and boars.Touch – with the insulation not as heavily invested in beyond tapestries, rugs and hearths, medieval castles were cold and drafty.How To Write A Story That Takes Place Only In A Fantasy Castle

Recently, someone asked for tips on writing a fantasy story that is set only in a castle.

This type of story is tightly linked with worldbuilding and requires a focus on character interactions and conflicts. Secrets, interpersonal struggles, and unexpected events can help create tension and drama.

Additionally, there could be a mysterious or spooky aspect to the castle, such as ghosts or . Despite the limited setting, it’s essential to describe the castle in detail, including the layout, colors, lighting, and other atmospheric details. Experimenting with narrative structures like flashbacks or multiple perspectives can also help keep the story engaging.

How Do You Come Up With Ideas For A Fantasy Castle?

When it comes to coming up with ideas for a castle in our fantasy stories, we tend to gravitate to what we know. Below we’ve seen some castle art and looked at how to draw fantasy castles, both of which can give you ideas.

But in this section, I wanted to give you some specific tips which I hope you may find useful.

One way to make a castle in a fantasy story unique is to think about altering its design. I like to think about the key features of a castle, so the gatehouse, the walls and parapets, to name a few. Parapets in particular can be carved into all different kinds of shapes and styles.Think about the location of the castle or keep. The fantasy castles in Lord of the Rings, for instance, always had quite eye-catching locations. Rivendell upon the banks of a river, Minas Tirith built into the mountain, and so too Helms Deep.Another way to approach designing a fantasy castle is to think about how it interacts with your world. For example, does magic exist? If so, what limits does it have and what can it be used for? Raymond E. Feist, for instance, uses magic wielders in his Riftwar Saga to build cities and strongholds, with each different magic user having a unique skill, just like we have bricklayers, electricians, plasterers and so on.Sticking to the subject of magic, can this influence the design or defences of the castle in your fantasy novel? What if magical forcefields are in place, meaning there’s no need for a wall? You can find a good example in James Barclay’s Chronicles Of The Raven series. One of the main characters finds himself besieged by an army. To protect himself and everyone else within the fort, he creates a magical wall with the help of some demons. Anyone who touches the wall dies, their soul sucked into the demon world. Barclay introduced a clever bit of conflict here. The besieging enemy rounds up innocent citizens and forces them to march into the magic wall. This tests the resolve of our main character and shows what you can do with magic and fantasy castles. 

These are just a few ideas to help you when it comes to thinking about ways in which you can create original designs for your fortresses. Another very useful thing to try is to create a castle floor plan. Let’s take a look.

More Guides On Fantasy Castles

Thank you for reading this fantasy writing guide on the fantasy castle. If you’re looking to learn more about writing fantasy or about castles generally, check out this list below. There’s a wealth of information for you to devour:

If you’d like to check out some discussions and opinions on different fantasy castles, check out this thread on r/fantasy on the most iconic fictional castles. This thread on r/worldbuilding is also very useful.If you need help , like castles and forts, head here for a detailed guide with lots of advice. You can also head here to check out my  toolSomething that’s found in castles are weapons, and if you want some help and advice, check out this guide on fantasy weapons here.Archery also featured a great deal in the defence and attack of castles and you can find a full guide here. If you want to learn more about the types of armor worn by defenders and attacks you can check out this guide to fantasy armor here, and also this guide on the lives of fantasy knights. When it comes to bringing your castles to life, it can help to draw a map of the layout, or of the surrounding area. Head here to check out my how-to guide on creating a fantasy map

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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