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Life was far from being comfortable in castles: the wind came in through the window blinds and the people used to sleep on benches or hard matresses in the dining-room. We must take into account that privacy, even for the rich, was not common in the Middle Ages, as much of the daily life was carried out in the hall, which acted as a communal living and eating room.
But, by the end of the 13th Century, the castles had well-furnitured bedrooms, were heated by fireplaces and lit by candles.The best rooms had windowpanes and the floors were covered with aromatic herbs or rugs. |
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In many castles, some people used to sleep together in the same bed, although the Lord and the Lady used to have their own room. The clothes used to be kept in a chest in a room at the top of the main tower, where the maid-servants of the lady used to sleep. People in the Middle Ages were far from being clean. The WC closet used to be a hole with a stone seat which led the waters into the cesspit; few rooms had running water and bathtubs were a luxury. In fact, only the richest people could afford a hot bath, as they had to pay for the wood used for heating the water and for the bathing oils. King John used to have a bath once a month and it cost him 5 pence each time, while a working man had to work a whole week to earn this money. |
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A cloth with a hole in the middle used to be placed on the cold stone which was used as a WC. |
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