Life Inside a Medieval Castle (Cross Section)

The Life and Layout of a Medieval Castle There are plenty of medieval castles still standing, letting us modern peasants from all over the world get a taste of living like a king or queen in the early centuries. In Wales, which has the most castles per square mile than any other country in Europe, for example, you can barely walk through town without tripping over a medieval monarch's home. A castle wasn't just for kings and queens, however. They were often owned by lords, and had their own little insular kingdoms within kingdoms, running what was tantamount to a small town within their walls. Housing nobles, servants, shopkeepers, and their stalls, armories, treasuries, cattle, ballrooms, kitchens, prison cells, and much more. Castles needed to be multiple things at once. They needed to be reflections of the leaders they represented, large and stately, suitable for housing the most important people in the world and surrounding them with luxury. But they also needed battlegrounds and strong fortifications that strengthened a town or city's defenses and deterred invasion. That's why a medieval castle is like an onion. Both have plenty of layers. The Beginning of the Medieval Castle Before the medieval period, also known as the Middle Ages, came the Romans, and with the Romans came forts, one of the original bases for the medieval castle. Often refurbished during the medieval period, it was a time for conflict across Europe and the rest of the world, and as such creating defenses against invaders became a focal point of medieval monarchs ensuring their dynasties. With abandoned Roman fortresses aplenty, they were the logical building ground for newer fortifications. From there came the simple structures of the Mott & Bailey castles, introduced in the 9th and 10th centuries. These were simple pieces of raised land, enclosed by a wooden wall and were usually simplistic in structure and size. As time moved on, these wooden constructions were replaced in favor of stone, and these early structures provided a basis for the medieval castle we most commonly think of today, in no small part thanks to Disney movies. Another reason was the introduction of the social order known as feudalism. In order to control their land, lords built grand, fortress-esque homes that became the basis of the medieval castle structure. The location of these structures was a crucial element. Across Great Britain and the coastal European countries, castles were often built near seas or lakes so as to be aware of and fortify against any attack by water. A supply of fresh water was also essential for those living in a castle, and the less likely their supply could be cut off during a siege, all the better for it. They were also commonly built on hilltops overlooking the area they controlled. A high vantage point allowed inhabitants to see for miles, getting plenty of notice of incoming attacks. But it also gave a big advantage on the battlefield itself. It's much harder to attack from a downward position upwards than it is to fire down on an enemy, and much easier to strategize, plan, and aim from within. Fortifications and general protection aside, invaders would also be exhausted from their long treks, which would only be emphasized by the final need to crawl uphill to the battle site. Building a Castle – The Outer Layers Given their positioning, castles on hilltops and outcroppings didn't really use the traditional moat we associate with medieval castles. Most others did, however, with one of the most famous examples being in Wales. Moats worked as an extra layer of defense against oncoming forces, used as a way to slow their progress. An even more gruesome use of moats was to sicken invaders who tried to cross them. Those in the castle would voluntarily poison their moat with disease-ridden corpses during an attack, in order to sicken the oncoming soldiers. The most important part of a castle's fortifications, however, were the strong outer walls that lay just beyond the moat and drawbridge. The outer wall and its towers were a castle's first line of defense, permanently guarded and lined with archers and artillery during battle. The higher the castle wall, the better it was for its residents. On average, castle walls were around 30 feet high, but famously, Framlingham Castle reached a whopping 40 feet. As castles developed, a second inner wall was often added as another line of defense before reaching the main meat of the castle. Just like the Death Star had a weakness, though, the medieval castle's weakness was its outer gates. No matter how well built and strong they were, they just weren't the same as a pure stone 30-40-foot-tall wall, and were so often the focal point of attacking forces. That's why many medieval castle gates also had a portcullis, an ironwork structure that could be lowered to form another barrier of defense behind the gate itself. Although there were few rooms in the outer castle walls, they did house one particularly smelly part of medieval life, the garter robe, or as it's more commonly known, the toilet. In castles, disease could spread quickly and easily, so hygiene was an important factor for its residents. However, no one wants a medieval privy too close to where they dine and sleep, so the toilets were often found in what was known as the latrine tower, which served as part of the outer wall. Sitting up high, buttocks resting on a surprisingly comfortable wooden board, waste would make its way down through the tower's internal tunneling system far away from the castle's residents. These latrine towers would not just be in the outer wall, however, but could also be found in other structures within the castle, such as the garrison or prison. If you visit Caerphilly Castle today, you pop in its latrine yourself and imagine what it was like to visit a bathroom with a view in medieval Britain. Moving on from the toilet, within the two lines of walls and protection, however, is where the castle life could be found. A stone keep positioned in the courtyard known as the bailey that covered the inner portions of the castle was usually the central focal point of the medieval castle. Here, you'd find the residence of the lord of the castle and their servants, usually the most luxurious part of the structure. It's where the lord would dine, receive guests, and generally live in medieval comfort. But it also served as the final line of defense against invading forces. If all else was lost, soldiers and castle residents could retreat to the keep and hope its strong stone walls would withstand the onslaught. Other common rooms within the keep usually included the great hall, where the family would eat and receive other members of the nobility, the treasury, where they would keep the taxes collected from those who farmed the land owned by the lord, and the room that housed the resident medieval physician and their marvelous leeches. But a castle needs more than just a place for the lord to lay his head. They served as a home to many, and as such they had some of the trappings and comforts of medieval life. The keep was often richly decorated, with tapestries and ornamentation, with some featuring impressive carvings on their walls, much like Stirling Castle, which housed several Scottish monarchs during the medieval era. Depending on their size, medieval castles could even become their own townships, much like Castillo de Gibrafaro in Spain, which stretched to include a community of traders, artisans, and merchants within its walls. Other common castle structures would include a chapel, as religion was a critical part of medieval life, servants' living quarters, garrisons for soldiers, stables, places for livestock, and also a prison to house those captured by the kingdom. Across Europe and beyond, the structure of the medieval castle actually remains startlingly familiar, usually following the same pattern, regardless of its location. The focal point of the towns and cities they defended, the medieval castle needed not only to house and support the land it owned, but stand as a signature and representation of the wealth of the crown and its nobles, sending the message to invaders, you will not win here.