Greetings! Welcome back to Mugdock Castle. This week there will be a theme of fireplaces to the photos you'll see. This is because I find old fireplaces a fascinating and detailed part of history. To me, fireplaces are a great reminder that human beings lived and ate and kept warm in the places I visit. If you're a fireplace nerd like me, I invite you to visit Wikipedia's history of fireplaces before (or after) touring today's photos.
Ready to continue on? Great!
Last week we left off at the top of the stairs to the second floor entrance of the Tower. As we move back down those stairs and turn to our right, this is what you'll see:
Ready to continue on? Great!
Last week we left off at the top of the stairs to the second floor entrance of the Tower. As we move back down those stairs and turn to our right, this is what you'll see:
This is the Front "side" entrance to the Castle. If you think back to the Main entrance to Mugdock, the Main entrance is to the left of the Tower. The gateway above is to the right of the Tower (if you're outside the castle looking in.) I would imagine that this entrance wasn't installed until much later, possibly the 1700's or maybe even the 1800's. The reason being, that it wouldn't have been a very defensible position. By the late 1700's defense of the castle wouldn't have been the priority. Entertaining would become the lead priority for castles in the 1800's. (Those that were still standing and in use, that is.)
Yes exactly, like in Downton Abbey. :)
From here, if we turn left...
Yes exactly, like in Downton Abbey. :)
From here, if we turn left...
We enter the front room of the right side of the castle, which was absolutely in use up through the 1940's. The fireplaces were all updated/upgraded at least once, if not twice, (or three times?) between 1800 and 1940. In fact, from what I could tell the whole right side of the castle (right of the Tower, that is) was the last part of the castle in use in the 1940's.
Would you like a closer look at the fireplace? Me too!
How many different stone building materials do you count?
Would you like a closer look at the fireplace? Me too!
How many different stone building materials do you count?
I don't have the answer, but personally I see 5 different types of stone (or ceramic) that was used in this fireplace. What do you think of the patterned concrete on the front ground?
How about the black and white checkered ceramic tiles inside the base of the fireplace itself?
What do you think the 1400's ancestors of the 1900's users of this castle would have thought of their descendants tastes and uses of fireplaces?
Again, I don't have the answer obviously, but those type of philosophical questions make my heart and head happy.
Ready to see the next fireplace? Of COURSE you are! :)
How about the black and white checkered ceramic tiles inside the base of the fireplace itself?
What do you think the 1400's ancestors of the 1900's users of this castle would have thought of their descendants tastes and uses of fireplaces?
Again, I don't have the answer obviously, but those type of philosophical questions make my heart and head happy.
Ready to see the next fireplace? Of COURSE you are! :)
It's so cute!
My guess is that this one was a "room heater" only, due to it's size. Drafty castles needed a fireplace in every room, as there wasn't any central heating invented as such until the mid 1700-1800's. And even then, many didn't "install" one as they were extremely expensive.
Interestingly, the ancient Greeks and Romans developed and used some "high tech" central heating systems in their buildings. However, "after the collapse of the Roman Empire, overwhelmingly across Europe, heating reverted to more primitive fireplaces for almost a thousand years." (Thank you Wiki!)
Alright - are you ready for the last of the fireplaces for the week?
Here we go!
My guess is that this one was a "room heater" only, due to it's size. Drafty castles needed a fireplace in every room, as there wasn't any central heating invented as such until the mid 1700-1800's. And even then, many didn't "install" one as they were extremely expensive.
Interestingly, the ancient Greeks and Romans developed and used some "high tech" central heating systems in their buildings. However, "after the collapse of the Roman Empire, overwhelmingly across Europe, heating reverted to more primitive fireplaces for almost a thousand years." (Thank you Wiki!)
Alright - are you ready for the last of the fireplaces for the week?
Here we go!
This one is a BIT drafty, no? :)
I LOVE this ruin of a fireplace, because we can see the stages/improvements over time of it! I find it so interesting that they simply laid the new brick over the old brick. I imagine it would have been MUCH more expensive (and maybe impossible via physics and engineering?) to remove the old brick first, before installing the new.
Well that wraps up our tour for this week. I hope you've enjoyed the fireplaces!
In parting, here's one of my favorite quotes about fire:
"Candles are the way we keep fire as pets."
Blessings on your Journey,
Pastor Emilia
I LOVE this ruin of a fireplace, because we can see the stages/improvements over time of it! I find it so interesting that they simply laid the new brick over the old brick. I imagine it would have been MUCH more expensive (and maybe impossible via physics and engineering?) to remove the old brick first, before installing the new.
Well that wraps up our tour for this week. I hope you've enjoyed the fireplaces!
In parting, here's one of my favorite quotes about fire:
"Candles are the way we keep fire as pets."
Blessings on your Journey,
Pastor Emilia
RSS Feed