Were castles cold and dark?

Were castles cold and dark? 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.

How cold was it in medieval castles?

The inside of a castle would have been roughly the same temperature as a pile of rocks in the same climate. In hot dry climates it would have been cooler than the heat of day, especially if they whitewashed the roof. In cold climates it was perpetually below what we would call comfortable.

How dirty was medieval times?

Most medieval people probably were dirty, and perhaps even smelly, by our standards – however hard you try, it must be nearly impossible to make a cold, muddy river work as well as a power shower and a washing machine. But only a tiny number of medieval people were truly filthy. Even fewer actually wanted to be dirty.

What did the 17th century smell like?

The stench of horse manure The 17th century was also full of foul smells; the stench could be dreadful everywhere. Mains water, sewer systems, deodorant, toothpaste, washing machines, fridges: none of these existed yet – with all the inherent consequences.

How were castles kept cool?

The natural ventilation inside the castle was achieved through five main elements: the large pool in the garden at the front, the fountain located on the ground floor, the two ventilating chimneys and large wet sheets hung beneath the ceilings of the various rooms on the upper floors.

How did people deal with body odor in medieval times?

Asides from normal body odor, it would depend. Bathing was more common than people nowdays think and most Medieval people tried to keep clean as much was reasonable. A richer noble or merchant might also use perfumes or other such things to smell nicer while others would likely smell of their surroundings.

Why were castles dark?

The Keep of Goodrich Castle, built in the 1100s, only had tiny windows – which meant that little light could enter the castle. This meant that most structures could only support tiny windows – which resulted in dark rooms that were constantly cold, as the thick stone could never be fully warmed by the sun.

Did old 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.

Why did castles have water around them?

The purpose of a moat was primarily to protect the castle from attack. As a defense mechanism, moats were very effective. Although they're usually depicted as wide, deep bodies of water, moats were often simply dry ditches.

What did castle toilets empty into in medieval times?

The toilets of a castle were usually built into the walls so that they projected out on corbels and any waste fell below and into the castle moat. Even better, waste went directly into a river as is the case of the latrines of one of the large stone halls at Chepstow Castle in Wales, built from the 11th century CE.

Were medieval castles smelly damp and dark?

The first stone castles built were cold, dark, smelly and damp. Inside the castle walls, floor coverings consisted of straw rushes and, later, sweet smelling herbs to mask the smell of animal excrement, grease, rotting food and beer.

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.

Why do castles have secret rooms?

These were often used as a means of escape or as a way to move around the castle undetected. The secret passages could be used as an escape route in case of a siege or an invasion, or as a way to move around the castle without being seen by enemies.

When did we stop living in castles?

By the 1600s, people didn't want to live in cold and damp castles anymore. Kings, queens and noble men wanted to show off how important and rich they were so they built palaces and great houses. Many existing castles were replaced with much grander homes.

Why were castles white?

Castle walls could be plastered and whitewashed to protect the walls and mortar. The White Tower in the Tower of London is named for such a reason. Whether a castle would be 'white' would really depend on the plaster used and I'd expect to vary by custom from county to country and from age to age.