Domestic Luxuries

Domestic Luxuries. Conisbrough Castle. You are now in the inner bailey looking at the remains of the residential apartments. Built against the curtain walls, they were extended in the early 15th century. When the keep was first built, that was where the lord and lady stayed when they came to the castle. But, with a growing desire for comfort in the later Middle Ages, important residents of the castle moved into these apartments., Countess Maud Clifford, who lived here between 1415 and 1446, enjoyed all the luxuries of the time: spacious chambers heated with fireplaces and en-suite toilets. Maud's private chamber was probably located in the comer beside the Great Hall Here she would manage her estate, listen to music, receive visitors or just relax in the window-seat enjoying the view of the countryside. But the level of comfort varied across the castle. The finest chambers on the first floor were occupied by Maud, her favourite ladies-in-waiting ,her family or important guests, while the household and estate servants lived in the simpler rooms below.