900 Years of History...

...that's Skipton Castle. We had free access yesterday thanks to the annual local paper voucher.
What an interesting place it is.
From the small dungeon - where apparently prisoners were not treated badly and were quite well fed! Through the wine cellar and Kitchen with its charcoal cooking range (main blip) and the Long Drop loo (just off the kitchen :-[] )
Then up to the Banquetting Hall and other living areas.
Every room had at least one fireplace but even so they would have been freezing in the colder months.
One outer door  - a thick black wooden studded one was peppered with shot holes at head height. One of the guides said they didn't know whether it had been used for target practice or executions. :-( 

Looking up you could see the wonderful construction of the the roofs with their criss cross of beams and stone flags.

In the courtyard stands the Yew tree which was planted in 1659!

I love to imagine the people who lived there over generations - the Lords and Ladies, children, soldiers, groomsmen, kitchen staff and servants.
The thought that we've walked on those very stone floors and looked out of the same windows, opened the heavy black doors, touched the actual cooking ranges and lead lined wine fermenter, fills me with wonder and nostalgia.

I was never interested in history at school which seemed to be all dates of Kings and Queens and Battles. I'm interested in how people actually lived day to day.

Skipton Castle is well worth a visit. 

https://www.skiptoncastle.co.uk/about.asp?page=2

https://www.skiptoncastle.co.uk/hist.asp?page=3