Easter W/E visit to A 12th Century Norman Fortification Outdoor Museum

[hollydolly]

Last weekend ( Easter) we visited this 12th century Norman fortification outdoor museum, which is close to where we live. It's a mock up of the original Bailey , castle and fortification during Norman times which stood on the same grounds!!

Their is an outer ''bailey'' where all the serfs lived and then through a drawbridge to the inner Bailey where the Lord lived with his servants...

Everything you can see is exactly how it would be during the medieval times, shabby and scruffy... ... even the chicken, and guinea fowl are of the same breed as they would have been from the middle ages... The original site would have been much larger

In each wooden or clay hut there is a mock up of the trades people who would have worked or lived there.... complete with talking models giving the history of what the exact job of the tenant would have been

here's the website...

https://mountfitchetcastle.com/


I'll follow with pictures I took on the day...

 

[hollydolly]

The ducking stool...

 

[hollydolly]

The outer Bailey where the serfs lived and worked

 

[hollydolly]

 

[hollydolly]

 

[hollydolly]

 

[hollydolly]

 

[hollydolly]

The communal outdoor cooking area...

 

[hollydolly]

 

[hollydolly]

The brewhouse ( fore-runner of the pub)

 

[Keesha]

Beautiful photos holly. It looks like a fun filled adventurous day with gorgeous weather.
Thanks for sharing it with us. The med-evil times are fascinating to learn about

 

[hollydolly]

A thief having his hand chopped off...( when we walked into the hut, the very creepy voice over was saying in '' in Medieval English''...ooooh help me please soire..I am goin' tae have moi 'and chopped orff''

 

[hollydolly]

The gallows were right in the middle of the Outer Bailey where everyone went about their business.. and right next to the open fire and cooking area...

 

[hollydolly]

I'll add more pics later if anyone wants to see more....

 

[RadishRose]

So interesting HD! Loved your pics. The website is nice with that aerial view. An "Iron Age" fort, yikes!
Thanks for the trip.

 

[hollydolly]

You're welcome Keesha and RR pleased you enjoyed them...I have many more I can post...

 

[CeeCee]

A thief having his hand chopped off...( when we walked into the hut, the very creepy voice over was saying in '' in Medieval English''...ooooh help me please soire..I am goin' tae have moi 'and chopped orff''

whats that on his leg? A shadow, bruise, tattoo or something else?

 

[hollydolly]

Just a shadow I think...CC... on the chopping block was very realistic look blood.... and at the front near the anvil was a hot coals pit, which they were made to walk in......

 

[Keesha]

No wonder it was called med EVIL. How utterly barbaric.

 

[hollydolly]

In the fodder and hay barns the owners would often place a man trap to catch thieves...

this trapped man was realistically moaning in pain and begging us to release him....

 

[hollydolly]

No wonder it was called med EVIL. How utterly barbaric.

Oooh between the ducking stools, the man traps, the guillotines, the hanging drawn and quartering...and also they had a stone pit covered in iron railing, about 6 feet by 3..where they threw people to rot and be eaten by rats..the medieval ages were probably the most brutal..

.

 

[CeeCee]

Very interesting! Makes me wonder what scenes people will be looking at in the future of our lives.

 

[hollydolly]

I agree CC.... not as interesting perhaps, and less barbaric for sure....


The thing about the punishments in medieval times as well, was that you could be killed slowly and barbarically for something as simple as stealing a chicken.. or someone deciding because you're an old lady living on your own, you must be a witch!!

 

[hollydolly]

Another picture of the Brew store

 

[hollydolly]

The food store...