Claypotts Castle
The castle as a residence
The castle was built at a time when the needs of defence were being modified in the interests of comfort and convenience. The exterior of the castle includes many decorative and stylish architectural elements, and the castle's domestic accommodation is spacious and well-provided with fireplaces, windows and other comforts.
Many rooms have ample fireplaces, high ceilings and more than one window
After the early 17th century, the castle's owners no longer lived there and may not have visited often. By 1847 the castle was being occupied by farm labourers, who would not have made expensive changes to the castle's interior. Partly for these reasons, many of the original features survive to the present day, and tell us much about the levels of comfort enjoyed by the inhabitants.
A view of the main hall, showing the former servery, beyond the central table
The focus of much of everyday family life, the main hall on the first floor of the castle is equipped with a large fireplace and an aumbry (wall cupboard). This room can be reached by two staircases, one leading from the cellars and kitchen; the other from the castle's entrance. There was originally also a servery between the stairway and the hall. These arrangements suggest that the comfort of guests was being attended to, while thought was also given to how servants would be able to bring food to the dining table.
Many rooms have private access via the stairs |
The wall cupboard in the principal bedchamber |
Privacy, for the owners, their family and their guests, seems to have been important, since many of the bedchambers have private access to a stairway.
To visualise the castle as it would have been when it was inhabited, we should try to imagine floor coverings, plastered walls and colourful wall-hangings, wooden doors at the entrances to the rooms and doors or shutters on the wall cupboards. The rooms would be warmed by open fires, and the first floor rooms, especially, would benefit from the heat rising from the kitchen below.
