Why do castles have windows?

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

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Castles weren't always cold and dark places to live. But, in reality, the great hall of castle had a large open hearth to provide heat and light (at least until the late 12th century) and later it had wall fireplace. The hall would also have had tapestries which would have insulated the room against too much cold.

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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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A castle's Curtain Wall was a defensive wall between two towers or bastions. The curtain wall was usually built to a considerable height and was fronted by a ditch or moat to make assault more difficult.

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In the medieval period luxury castles were built with indoor toilets known as 'garderobes', and the waste dropped into a pit below. It was the job of the 'Gongfarmer' to remove it – one of the smelliest jobs in history?

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The castlellated form seems to have gone largely out of fashion by the 16th century as the spread of powerful artillery led to the development of squat blockhouse-like forts (see the Military Structures selection guide), although many castles continued in use, mainly as residences, for many centuries.

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The most important room in a castle was the Great Hall. This is where all the members of the household sat down to eat at tables set up for every meal. It was where feasts were held for special days, or when there were guests. King Arthur's Pentecost Feast takes place in such a Hall.

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Life in a Medieval Castle: Cold, Dark, and Very Smelly! To our modern standards of living, most Medieval castles would have been incredibly cold, cramped, totally lacking privacy, and would have been disgustingly smelly (and likely home to more than a fair share of rats!).

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Initially, castles were built out of wood, but eventually, people made castles from stone because they were stronger and lasted longer. Castles usually consisted of a group of buildings that were surrounded by a huge wall and a moat designed to keep attackers out.

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The well – as well as any available cisterns – provided a protected source of drinking water for the castle garrison in peace and war and also for any civil population seeking refuge during a siege.

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After the 16th century, castles declined as a mode of defense, mostly because of the invention and improvement of heavy cannons and mortars. This artillery could throw heavy cannonballs with so much force that even strong curtain walls could not hold up.

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