Newark Castle

Newark Castle. The Halls Range and Riverside Curtain Wall. About 1300 the riverside curtain wall was rebuilt and a timber framed building was constructed against it. If you look carefully at the wall to the left of the gatehouse you can still see the line left where the roof of this building joined the stone curtain wall., The building was divided into a series of rooms including two large halls, the Great Hall and the Bishop's Hall. The large windows you can see in the riverside curtain wall would have allowed light and air into the halls. The windows could safely be as large as this because the castle was protected by the river on this side., The Great Hall was for general use and included a large area for communal meals, kitchens, store rooms and bedrooms. Fires were made in open hearths with the smoke escaping through a hole in the roof., The Great Hall was also used by the bishop for official business such as holding courts, with the accused being brought straight from two prison cells in the central tower., The Bishop's Hall was used to entertain special guests and to accommodate the Bishop's large personal staff.