How did people sleep in castles?

In a castle, only the lord and lady would have had a bedroom of their own. They would probably also have been the only ones with a bed. The garrison would have slept in various rooms in the keep, and the servants would have slept where they worked: the kitchen, stables, and so on.

Where did people go to the toilet in castles?

In the medieval period luxury castles were built with indoor toilets known as 'garderobes', and the waste dropped into a pit below.

How did people sleep in medieval times?

From as early as 21:00 to 23:00, those fortunate enough to afford them would begin flopping onto mattresses stuffed with straw or rags – alternatively it might have contained feathers, if they were wealthy – ready to sleep for a couple of hours.

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 they stay warm in castles?

During the era of Elizabeth I, castles began to be fitted with fireplaces which, as we all know, continued to be an essential part of all the English homes till the end of the 19th century. Coming back to the Norman castles, these places were kept warm by also a very simple innovation- less number of windows.

What Life Was Like In Medieval Castles

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 were castles so uncomfortable?

Living in a medieval castle was often uncomfortable and even hazardous, particularly for those who were not part of the nobility or royalty. For example, despite their grandeur and imposing appearance, many castles lacked basic amenities like running water, central heating, and proper ventilation.

Did castles have showers?

Medieval castles did not have bathrooms with running water, yet people did like to bathe. In some castles there was a room next to the kitchen where women bathed in groups.

Did old castles have bathrooms?

The term garderobe is also used to refer to a medieval or Renaissance toilet or a close stool. In a medieval castle, a garderobe was usually a simple hole discharging to the outside into a cesspit (akin to a pit latrine) or the moat (like a fish pond toilet), depending on the structure of the building.

What were bedrooms called in castles?

The bedroom of a castle is generally referred to as the Lords and Ladies Chamber, or the Great Chamber. These rooms were intended for use as a bedroom and used by the lord and lady of the castle - they also afforded some privacy for the noble family of the castle as they may have included a sitting area.

How long did people sleep 500 years ago?

Ancient Sleeping Patterns

During and before the 15th Century, we used to sleep in two shorter periods over 12 hours. Due to a lack of artificial lighting and candlelight, our ancient ancestors went to bed at dusk for around four hours, woke in the middle of the night and were active, then slept again until dawn.

How much sleep did Vikings get?

So in winter, they would have gone to sleep around 6pm, gone up to eat from midnight to 2am and then woken up around 8am. In summer you would have slept from midnight to 4am at most, if at all.

Did humans used to sleep twice a day?

Biphasic sleep involves two sleep periods within a day, typically a longer nighttime sleep and a shorter nap. Historically, it was common and some people still adopt it in contemporary settings for increased productivity and adaptability.

What did they use for toilet paper in castles?

Wiping in the Medieval Times

Humans have been wiping their butts for ions. Before toilet paper was even a concept, people just used whatever was available to wipe. This included items such as hay, wood shavings, corn cobs, and even iron cables.

Did people take baths in medieval times?

Ordinary people in medieval cities bathed regularly in public bathhouses. These were often built close to bakeries, to share heat produced by the ovens.

What did castle toilets empty into?

Waste fell below and into the castle moat, or in some fancy shmancy cases, flowed directly into a river where it was carried away from the castle. Some castles had toilet shafts emptying directly in the courtyard, while others hung conveniently over a cliff face.

How did they wipe in the Middle Ages?

Alternatives to toilet paper in the Middle Ages

In Europe, wealthier people used wool, rags and scraps of fabric to wipe themselves off. The ordinary people knew how to clean themselves with leaves, moss, straw, hay or simply by hand and water.

Why did castles have water around them?

A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices.

Did castles have dirt floors?

Pressed Dirt Floors: Found in nearly every region of the world, dirt floors were a common sight in early castles. These floors were created by taking dirt from the castle grounds and pressing it into a solid floor. However, dirt floors were very difficult to keep clean and over time, would begin to crack and crumble.

Were castles cold to live in?

Castles weren't always cold and dark places to live.

Remains of a fireplace at Conwy Castle, Wales. In the chamber – the more private rooms of the castle – there were beds with curtains, giving an extra layer of warmth, and these rooms largely had fireplaces.

What did medieval soap smell like?

Still made using animal fats, soap during the Middle Ages in Europe actually had an unpleasant smell. But better smelling cleansing soap began to arrive from Islamic lands, which incorporated olive oil and sometimes lime.

What was hygiene like in the 1500s?

A Medieval clean wasn't half bad

One of the most important cleaning practices in medieval times was washing. Bathing was not as common as it is today and was often reserved for special occasions. People would usually wash their hands and face regularly, but full-body bathing was not a daily occurrence.

How cold did castles get?

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.

Why did people stop living in castles?

When cannons were introduced, castles were not strong enough to withstand the impact of cannon balls so they didn't offer important people much protection. The royal family, nobles and clan chiefs left their castles to live in in more comfortable homes, like grand houses and palaces.

Were moats filled with sewage?

In addition, to the water in the moat, and the intended purpose of protection for the fortifications, the moat would also serve as a dumping ground for the human and other waste sent out through the structures primitive sewer system.