Medieval Castles & Castle Life

By Marisa Carrasco

Parts of the Castle

• Moat/ditch: used to keep enemies out and was sometimes polluted with human waste products.

• Drawbridge: bridge used to get across the moat.

• Curtain: the wall around all the main towers inside.

• Gatehouse: the doorway in the curtain that was protected by being made out of heavy wood and metal to keep enemies out.

• Towers: allowed people to look out for enemies. They were also used as a place to keep prisoners.

• Keep: the highest point of the castle. It’s also the safest and most secure from any attack.

Parts of the Castle 2• Kitchen/Great Halls: where the

food was prepared and then where it was served for the lord and his family.

• Stables: were used for the livestock such as horses and chickens.

• Chapel: could be found in one of the towers or the gatehouses. It was used by the lord and his family even though there was a chapel for the public.

• Houses: were built for some of the workers and servants of the castle.

Castle Life: Hygiene • Baths were said not to

be taken, but they bathed regularly in wooden bathtubs.

• When it was warm, baths were taken in the garden. When it was cold, they were taken by a fire in the castle.

• In some castles there were pipes that carried hot and cold water throughout the castle.

Plumbing• Clean water was placed in a

bowl called the latrine which was their form of a toilet.

• There was no such thing as indoor plumbing so pipes throughout the castle brought fresh water to each level.

• For warm water, it was boiled over a fire before being used.

• Most of the waste from the latrines were filtered out into the moat of the castle.

The Kitchen• The kitchen was one of

the most important rooms in the house.

• Not only was it used for cooking food but it was used to heat water for bathing and washing clothes.

• The kitchen required plenty of staff because it was in use almost every hour of every day.

Dungeons • The prison (dungeon) was located near or in the main gatehouse to keep enemies form having easy access to free prisoners.

• To make the stay for prisoners uncomfortable, they would build the dungeons in dark cold places.

Weather in the Castle

• During winter the castle was extremely cold and damp.

• Even during the summer the castle was damp, but it was hot and humid.

• The castles walls tended to keep in the moisture of the air from outside.

People of the Castle

• The main people are the kings, queens, princes, and princesses.

• Workers such as knights, cooks, black- smiths, watchmen, messengers, scribes, and nurses were very important to the castle.

 

Parties

• Parties were a normal thing for royal families.

• Most of the main events were held in the dining hall.

• Cooks, servants, and jesters were a must for the party to be successful.

Works Cited

Blackwood, Gary L. Life in a Medieval Castle. San Diego, California: Lucent Books, Inc, 2000.  

“Castle Learning Center: Parts of a Castle” 3 Dec. 2009. http://www.castles-of-britain.com/castlesi.htm

Gies, Frances and Joseph. “Life in Medieval Castle”. 1974.Harper and Row, New York. 5 Dec. 2009.http://www.castlewales.com/life.html#Part%20IV

Hull, Lise.”Castle Learning Center: Castle Dungeons”. 1999-2008. 2 Dec. 2009.http://www.castles-of-britain.com/castlesg.htm

Works Cited

Hull, Lise. “Castle Learning Center: Life in a Medieval Castle”.1997-2008.2 Dec. 2009.http://www.castles-of-britain.com/castle33.htm

Hull, Lise. ”Castle Learning Center: Castle Dungeons”. 1999-2008. 2 Dec. 2009.http://www.castles-of-britain.com/castlesg.htm

Works Cited

Hull, Marvin.” Castle Learning Center: Bathing and Washing During Medieval Times”.2001-2008.2 Dec. 2009. http://www.castles-of-britain.com/castleze.htm

8 Dec. 2009. http://api.ning.com/files/B3Oc*2HWfLP*Z9-SMgebb8ZX7tjC9G97j70FXA3rIm0_/ArtistsSeasons1.jpg

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 8 Dec.2009.http

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