What did medieval castles use for windows?

Before inventing the window-pane, windows were covered with wooden panels and parchment in order to insulate. Later, the appearance of leaded window-panes raised the comfort level of the castles significantly. They contained round-shaped glasses (quarries), but spread very slowly, because they were too expensive.



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Glass was an incredibly expensive material and so was rarely used in castles or homes. Usually these were openings just to let in air and light, covered with wooden shutters. In some castles the window equivalent was shaped like a cross for defensive military purposes, not to provide wide wonderful views.

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While castles had windows to let in light and for ventilation, early medieval castles did not have glass windows. Glass was expensive and was heavily taxed, so having glass windows cost the owner of the castle a considerable amount of money. In addition, they could be easily broken, so they were not great for defense.

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Many castle windows were very small and designed to be narrow and tall for defensive purposes, which meant that they let in very little sunlight. This made it difficult to see clearly inside the castle and also made it harder to keep the interiors warm and dry.

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Castles and manor houses often smelled damp and musty. To counteract this, herbs and rushes were strewn across the floors.

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The first stone castles built were cold, dark, smelly and damp. Inside the castle walls, floor coverings consisted of straw rushes and, later, sweet smelling herbs to mask the smell of animal excrement, grease, rotting food and beer.

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