While Medieval Castles were all different, many shared similar attributes, like a great hall, a deep moat, a kitchen, etc. Below is a diagram of the layout of Farleigh Hungerford Castle, an example of a typical castle design.
The Keep
The Keep was generally the heart of a medieval castle. It was typically the tallest and strongest tower in the layout, where the bedchambers and The Great Hall were located. In medieval times it was known as the donjon, meaning strong-hold, however it goes by the keep today as to avoid confusion with "dungeon".
The Great Hall
The Great Hall was a social place where feasts and banquets were held.
The Great Hall was a social place where feasts and banquets were held.
The Kitchens
Food was cooked over a fire, and water was supplied by wells. Dishes and utensils were washed in a large stone sink. Breakfast was usually just bread and water.
Food was cooked over a fire, and water was supplied by wells. Dishes and utensils were washed in a large stone sink. Breakfast was usually just bread and water.
The Bathrooms
Toilets were holes that emptied into a pit. Although there wasn't running water, the people liked to bathe once a year, so there were sometimes rooms near the kitchens where people bathed in groups. The lord could simply have hot water, sometimes scented, brought into his room and poured in a tub.
Toilets were holes that emptied into a pit. Although there wasn't running water, the people liked to bathe once a year, so there were sometimes rooms near the kitchens where people bathed in groups. The lord could simply have hot water, sometimes scented, brought into his room and poured in a tub.
The Towers
Towers were used for two different things; decoration and a vantage point for archers.
Towers were used for two different things; decoration and a vantage point for archers.
The Chapel
Religion was huge in the middle ages, so many castles had chapels. However, the chapel also had some strategic benefits, for many attackers wouldn't dare harm a priest back then.
Religion was huge in the middle ages, so many castles had chapels. However, the chapel also had some strategic benefits, for many attackers wouldn't dare harm a priest back then.
Information on the Barbican and Gatehouse under "Castle Defenses"