How were floors built in castles?
How were floors built in castles? In a ground-floor hall the floor was beaten earth, stone or plaster; when the hall was elevated to the upper story the floor was nearly always timber, supported either by a row of wooden pillars in the basement below, as in Chepstow's Great Hall (shown left), or by stone vaulting.
How did they clean floors in medieval times?
In medieval times, scullery maids would sometimes care for stone floors by sweeping up the rushes they used to mitigate unpleasant aromas before using harsh lye soap to scrub up dirt and grime. By the 19th Century, humanity had at least realized that some level of attention (and elbow grease) was necessary.
Why were roofs removed from castles?
These temporary structures, known as removable roofs (Abwurfdächer) were supposed to have covered fortifications such as the bergfried as well as residential buildings like the palas and would have been quickly removed in the event of a siege so that catapults could be erected on the fighting terraces in order to ...
How did they build castles without cement?
Dry stone, sometimes called drystack or, in Scotland, drystane, is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. A certain amount of binding is obtained through the use of carefully selected interlocking stones.
When did people stop living in castles?
After the 16th century, castles declined as a mode of defense, mostly because of the invention and improvement of heavy cannons and mortars. This artillery could throw heavy cannonballs with so much force that even strong curtain walls could not hold up.
What did medieval castles smell like?
Castles and manor houses often smelled damp and musty. To counteract this, herbs and rushes were strewn across the floors.
What was the weakest point of a castle?
The entrance to the castle was always its weakest point. Drawbridges could be pulled up, preventing access across moats. Tall gate towers meant that defenders could shoot down in safety at attacks below. The main gate or door to the castle was usually a thick, iron-studded wooden door, that was hard to break through.
How thick are castle walls?
The height of walls varied widely by castle, but were often 2.5–6 m (8.2–19.7 ft) thick. They were usually topped with crenellation or parapets that offered protection to defenders.
How did medieval castles get water?
The well – as well as any available cisterns – provided a protected source of drinking water for the castle garrison in peace and war and also for any civil population seeking refuge during a siege.
What did castles use for flooring?
So, while stone, rugs, and pressed dirt were used for flooring in castles, the top pick was hardwood.
Were moats filled with sewage?
It turns out that those fairy tales you read as a child all left out a very important truth: The moats that surrounded medieval castles weren't just useful defenses against attack; they were also open sewers into which the castles' primitive waste disposal systems flushed human excrement and other foul substances.
Why were castles so cold?
“Things we take for granted, like tomatoes and peppers, they didn't have in Europe in the Middle Ages. Those came from this continent. They didn't have oranges, those came from Africa,” Bachrach said. Without electricity and just wood for heat, castles were often dark and cold in Medieval times, Bachrach said.
Did castles have toilets?
In the medieval period luxury castles were built with indoor toilets known as 'garderobes', and the waste dropped into a pit below.
How did they keep castles warm in winter?
Castles weren't always cold and dark places to live. But, in reality, the great hall of castle had a large open hearth to provide heat and light (at least until the late 12th century) and later it had wall fireplace. The hall would also have had tapestries which would have insulated the room against too much cold.
Did medieval castles smell?
Life in a Medieval Castle: Cold, Dark, and Very Smelly! To our modern standards of living, most Medieval castles would have been incredibly cold, cramped, totally lacking privacy, and would have been disgustingly smelly (and likely home to more than a fair share of rats!).
Did castles have water accessible on all floors?
Answer and Explanation: No, the castles did not have a water supply on the floors. Please remember that these were built on hills and other elevated places and in those times, there was no power or any hydraulic system to carry water to the higher floors.
Why don t we build castles anymore?
After the 16th century, castles declined as a mode of defense, mostly because of the invention and improvement of heavy cannons and mortars. This artillery could throw heavy cannonballs with so much force that even strong curtain walls could not hold up.
How did they build the foundations for castles?
Foundations. For stone built castles the foundations would, wherever possible, been built directly onto the bedrock. The builders would dig down to the rock before leveling it to create the strongest possible foundation. The stones for the walls would be laid directly onto the bedrock.