Fireplaces, Furnaces, and Freezing Nights: The Harsh Reality of Heating Castles in the Middle Ages

🏰 “Castles Were Cold—and We Mean FREEZING” ❄️ Medieval castles might look romantic, but living in them meant battling the cold daily. Even huge fireplaces barely pushed temps above 15°C! People burned whole trees, slept in caps, and hung thick tapestries just to stay warm. 🔥 Curious how they finally beat the chill? See the clever (and ancient!) heating trick they borrowed — details in this article 👇

Medieval castles were not just built to protect nobles from enemies—they were also homes where people lived all the time. But since they were made of thick stone, it wasn’t easy to stay warm inside. Until the 12th century, castles were usually cold and uncomfortable. But later on, heating methods improved.

By the 13th and 14th centuries, people started using open hearths and fireplaces built into the walls to heat the rooms. These fireplaces often included trays for coal and systems of pipes. Early on, the fire was open, and although it did provide warmth, keeping a big room warm meant you needed a fireplace in almost every space—especially in bedrooms and main halls. And if the fireplace was large, it would take entire trees to keep the fire going!

Fun fact: Even with all this effort, the temperature in most castles rarely rose above 15 or 16 degrees Celsius. But people at the time accepted this as normal.

In the Prince of Wales’ residence, the main hall alone had around ten hearths and two huge fireplaces. Each bedroom usually had at least one hearth as well. People also used small cast-iron warmers near beds to keep warm at night.

There were other tricks, too. Thick tapestries hung on the walls helped hold in heat and kept the cold from the stone walls from creeping in. Pajamas, slippers, and sleeping caps were also invented during this time to help people stay warm while they slept. On especially cold days, people avoided leaving their warm beds unless it was necessary—and they even welcomed visitors in their bedrooms to avoid losing heat!

Later on, people began using an old Roman heating method called the hypocaust. This was a large furnace located in the basement. It would heat up stones and send warm air through small channels and openings in the floors. This way, warm air flowed into the rooms above. Over time, the system was improved with better piping and enclosed furnaces.