What is inside a Great Hall?

What is inside a Great Hall? great hall, main apartment in a medieval manor house, monastery, or college, in which meals were taken. In large manor houses it also served other purposes: justice was administered there, entertainments given, and often at night the floor was strewn with rushes so that many of the servants could sleep there.

Did castles have rats?

Rats and other vermin flourished inside the walls of medieval towns. Castles — designed to withstand a siege — often contained stores of surplus grain, vegetables, and herbs. Along with their cool, dark interior, these stores provided a superb habitat for rats and mice.

What is the difference between the ballroom and the Great Hall?

The Great Hall is the room on which most care and expense has been lavished; palace architect Linstow called it “the only truly grand room in the building. Nowadays the Ballroom is used for luncheons and after banquets, and is the room where the King presents honours to the recipients.

What was a great room used for in a castle?

The great chamber was at the dais end of the hall, usually up a staircase. It was the first room which offered the lord of the household some privacy from his own staff, albeit not total privacy. In the Middle Ages the great chamber was an all-purpose reception and living room.

Where did maids sleep in castles?

Most domestic servants would have slept in shared chambers in either the cellars or attics of the castle buildings. There might also be simple buildings outside the castle for herdsmen, mill workers, wood-cutters, and craftspeople such as rope-makers, candle-makers, potters, basket-weavers, and spinners.

How did toilets work in castles?

In the medieval period luxury castles were built with indoor toilets known as 'garderobes', and the waste dropped into a pit below. It was the job of the 'Gongfarmer' to remove it – one of the smelliest jobs in history?

Where did people sleep in castles?

You should be aware that, in general, bedrooms did not exist as such (except for the royalty/top nobility). Most people in e.g. a castle slept on straw-filled mattresses or just on straw, either on the floor or on chests. This was true not only for servants, but also for e.g. artisans, merchants and the like.