One of my favourite castles – Norwich Castle – has recently re-opened after several years of re-development. It was initially commissioned by William the Conqueror and completed by his son Henry I in 1121. It is in astonishingly good condition. As a Norfolk boy, it is a castle that holds a special place in my imagination – an immense strongbox of a fortress, standing high on its mound above the city, with a stone fist of defiance. As with the recent magnificent refurbishments at Caerphilly Castle in Wales, that I posted about the other day, Norwich Castle now has some areas which have been decorated and furnished as they might have been in the castle’s heyday.The King’s Chamber, pictured below, is an excellent example of the reality of castle interiors. Just like your house, the inside did not expose bare construction walls, but clad them in plaster and then coloured them with paint. This tile style of geometric decoration was very popular. There is colour on the painted stone of the door arch and the door itself is both painted and furnished with decorative ironwork. The embroidered frieze , in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry, shows scenes from the castle’s life. Of course the floor would also have had coverings and the room would have been more densely furnished but there is obviously a need to cater for the busy footfall of visitors, so compromises had to be made. I think they’ve made a very good job of it.I have not yet had the opportunity to visit in person, so I should be careful about my one tiny criticism, which concerns the projected displays on the walls in the Great Keep. From the still photograph, they look a bit theme-park silly to me and quite unnecessary. I’m all for engaging younger folk but I don’t think we need to treat them as idiots. Youthful imaginations are generally very active and lively. I think that when they are spoonfed too much stimulus – their imaginations go into passive consumer mode, rather than active creative mode. Give them the clues but let them paint the pictures. Of course I could be wrong , not yet having seen these audio-visual extravaganzas.All in all though, well done Norwich and Norfolk. This is another important contribution to our understanding and visualization of the past. Castles, occupied as they were by monarchs, knights and nobles, were not dark, grey, depressing dungeons. They were palaces; furnished and decorated inside with style and colour. ... See MoreSee Less
Given the extreme heat many of us in Europe have been experiencing this summer, perhaps this 200AD Roman legionary's sunhat might be useful.It is made from wool felt, which seems a little counter-intuitive for the heat but maybe (I have no evidence for this) such items were soaked in water and the evaporation helped to keep the wearer's head cool, in a similar manner to a pith helmet. ... See MoreSee Less