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 Living
in a Castle Although castles were built primarily as fortresses, they were also the home of kings and noblemen, and their retainers. How comfortable a castle was depended on when it was built, how rich its owner was, and whether it was an armoured outpost on a border or within hostile territory. Living conditions in the earliest castles were quite basic but improved markedly from the 12th to the 15th centuries. The Normans had very well defined ideas about the layout of their castles. The ground floor was generally a vaulted undercroft, used mainly for the storage of grain and other food. On the first floor was the hall, a large public room that was used for eating, drinking, and entertaining, and was the centre of life in the castle. The walls of the hall were often hung with rich tapestries. Heating was provided by a large fireplace and the floor was usually covered with straw or rushes. Also on the first floor, and leading off from the hall, was the solar, which generally functioned as the bedchamber and living room of the castle's owners. It too might be hung with tapestries, or painted; Eleanor, wife of Henry II, had her chamber at Windsor Castle painted green and decorated with gold stars. Sanitation was relatively basic: lavatories, in small rooms adjoining private chambers, consisted of a stone seat overhanging the outer walls. Leading off from the hall on the opposite side to the solar was the kitchen, allowing food to be brought directly to the hall. In some castles, however, the kitchen was housed outside the keep because of the risk of fire. As living conditions within castles improved, the demand for space increased. This was particularly the case within royal castles. The king, on his perpetual round from one castle to the next, was accompanied by a large retinue of officials, statesmen, and retainers, all of whom had to be accommodated. In some castles, an upper storey was added to the keep but, as curtain walls were strengthened and the keep became smaller and stronger, so living quarters were built in the inner and outer baileys. Because of their defensive function, castles tended to be dark, and in winter were cold and draughty. Windows, generally no more than slits, were rarely glazed and the shutters were often ill-fitting. Interiors were often set out in such a way that private chambers adjoined large public halls, allowing draughts to circulate. To improve lightness and standards of cleanliness, walls were sometimes limewashed |
This site was last updated 01/10/06
