There were also machicolations often added to a castles walls that created easier and more effective ways to throw stones and boiling liquids on besieging armies. Castle walls were joined by large towers that served a defensive purpose.Īt the top of the medieval castle walls were crenellated battlements from which to defend the castle from besieging armies.
It was common to build medieval castle walls of widths ranging from 8 feet to 20 feet. Medieval castle walls were central to a castle’s defence, the width and type varied from castle to castle. The accounts of the Castle of Burghausen from 1477 recorded the total cost of drinks: 1185 buckets of beer and twice as much wine had been purchased.Read More about Medieval Castle Part – Ramparts Beer brewing was a task for women, but the amount sometimes proved to be scarce.
Instead of refrigerators, they used a 'fridge' hollowed into the wall to keep food fresh. In the world of medieval castles, people did not know the tomato, the potato or the paprika - these only reached Europe at the end of the 15th century after the discovery of America. The main course was, for example, wild-boar, pheasant or quail, crane and swan. Researchers have proven that by finding records of monthly wages to the court dwarf and the court clown in the budget accounts of the Castle of Burghausen from 1477.Īt the feasts, noblemen of castles often ate venison which they had hunted. The guests danced and listened to music, and their entertainment was ensured by the comedian of the period – a court clown – who practised this profession for money. The men's pay has been and still is very much in arrears, and we are having the greatest difficulty in keeping them because they have simply nothing to live on.'īesides different events, castle inhabitants organised feasts with guests, elegant masquerades, known as bacchanals and banquets. Of which there will have to be a great quantity. All this takes no account of the garrison. 'In case you should wonder where so much money could go in a week, we would have you know that we have needed – and shall continue to need 400 masons, both cutters and layers, together with 2,000 less skilled workmen, 100 carts, 60 wagons and 30 boats bringing stone and sea coal 200 quarrymen 30 smiths and carpenters for putting in the joists and floor boards and other necessary jobs. Nonetheless, building a castle remained a laboursome and cost-demanding task, as can be seen in this extract from a letter written by master builder Magistro Jacobo de Sancto Georgio about the construction of the castle of Beaumaris in the 12th century: This crane represented huge progress compared to earlier times, because three people could do tasks that previously needed a dozen. A crane operator was also needed to drive the tool. Thus, the turning wheel pulled construction materials, for example stones for a wall, with the aid of ropes and cogwheels.
It consisted of a large wheel that was driven by two people who stepped inside the wheel and walked continuously on the inner surface of it.
Although few written records survive about Medieval architecture, it is certain that one of the most significant tools of constructions in the 13th century – and one of the most important architectural inventions – was the treadwheel crane.
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