Mountfitchet Castle

Today was our first "field trip" with the kids.  We took them to Mountfitchet Castle, which is a restored castle from medieval England and shows what life would have been like in 1066.  It was amazingly well done.  

       

The most striking thing for all of us was the various forms of punishment used to keep everyone in line.  There was a whipping post, a "Hell Hole", where you were placed to die, the stocks and various others below.   The punishment for women was the most interesting to me.

Here is the jail.  On the left, a man is about to have his hand cut off for stealing (they showed the blood, knife, everything... yes, this was a castle for KIDS!)  The man in the center is being hung by his wrists from ropes.  The third man on the right was placed in some sort of iron cage and hung up with an iron mask.

  

Here is the "Hell Hole" where people were placed to die.

  

In the middle of the courtyard a man was hung.  I was warned about this from a nice British lady who said her little girl was quite upset the first time she saw it... well I guess it is a rather unusual sight.

The most interesting one to me was the Ducking stool, used to punish women.  Here is the poem that goes along with the stool:

There stands, my friend, in yonder pool

An engine called a Ducking Stool;

By legal power commanded down,

The joy and terror of the town. 

If jarring females kindle strife,

Give language foul, or lug the coif;

If noisy dames should once begin

To drive the house with horrid din;

"Away" you cry "you'll grace the stool'

we'll teach you how your tongue to rule."

Down in the deep the Stool descends,

But here, at first, we miss our ends;

She mounts again, and reges more

Than ever vixen did before.

If so, my friend, pray let her take

A second turn into the lake;

and, rather than your patience lose,

thrice and again repeat the dose.

No brawling wives, no furious wenches,

No fire so hot, but water quenches.

WOW - I guess that would be a serious reason to stop all gossip and inappropriate language.

John needed a time out:

The Castle complex - in medieval times they were built of wood instead of the stone castles we usually see.

Sir John, the Knight:
   

A fertility chair:

  

The Loo - with grass to use instead of toilet paper!

The mill stone for grinding wheat:

They had animals wandering the castle complex.  We all loved feeding the little sheep below.