Castle View

This is the Baron's bedroom window in the Great Hall at Mountfitchet Castle in Stansted. We visited this castle for the first time today and had a really enjoyable time, finding out about life in a Norman castle and village. The site of the castle was formerly an Iron Age hill fort, then a Roman signals fort and later a Saxon and Viking settlement before being attacked in 1066 by William the Conqueror who built a wooden motte and bailey castle.

The castle has been reconstructed (there are small chunks of original castle to see), and sets the scene of 1066 Norman England. We explored the village, wandering in and out of the village houses to see the daily work of the people who would have lived there.

There did seem to be a large emphasis on punishment with stocks, ducking stools, prison, hell holes, whipping posts and exectutioner's block and axe. Rescued animals - goats, deer, chickens and ducks - roamed freely and enjoyed the animal food that we bought in the shop for them.