Once upon a time, castles were full of life, loud noises, terrible smells, grand lords and ladies, endless servants, fierce knights and juggling jesters. Primarily built in England and Wales after 1066, castles cemented the new system of feudalism, where people worked and fought for nobles in exchange for loyalty, protection and the use of land.
As a fortress as well as a home, a medieval castle was effectively a symbol of the lord's power and, with its hierarchy and festivities, represented a cross-section of medieval life more widely.
But what was life really like in a medieval castle? Was it really as lavish and luxurious as we're sometimes led to believe, or was it cold, dark and difficult?
People didn't live in castles for long
Although castles were homes, they weren't permanent residences. The lord and lady and their servants – who could number anywhere from 30 to 150 people – would move from castle to castle with their beds, linen, tapestries, tableware, candlesticks and chests, meaning that most rooms in the castle at any given time would be shut up.
Castles would be more or less busy depending on the time of year. Festivities such as Easter and Christmas meant that guests would flood the castle, who might stay for months at a time. Other times, such as when the lady was close to giving birth and just after, it would be less busy.
Sometimes, the lord alone would be called away for other business. His servants such as his groom and chamberlain would travel with him. In his absence, the day-to-day domestic affairs would be run by the lady of the castle.