Marya castles

Medieval castles were generally built in the motte and bailey style and medieval castle toilets were no more than a wooden bench with a hole. Excrement ran straight out into the moat. They were called ‘garderobes’ because clothes were kept there to repel insects and moths.

Castles were fortresses, but people lived their too. Usually a village would exist inside the castle walls, and in the daytime there would be a market and shops were people would trade and sell things. The castle would be open in the daytime and close its doors at night - and you'd better be inside if you wanted to stay!

Dungeons, coming from the French word ‘donjon’ meaning fortified tower, were originally built as a central keep and a last refuge for castle inhabitants under attack. Dark and gloomy, the keeps were considered an ideal prison and so became dungeons.

The oldest inhabited castle in Europe, is also one of the most famous castles in the world, our very own Windsor Castle. Built by William I, the Queen’s home is over 900 years. However, the oldest standing castle is Château de Doué-la-Fontaine in France, built in 950 AD.