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Author Topic: Rendering of Medieval Castle Walls  (Read 8639 times)

Offline Silent Invader

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Rendering of Medieval Castle Walls
« on: October 25, 2018, 11:21:21 AM »
Folks: a castle building project is afoot.

I’ve been trying to get my head around the appropriate external finish for a mid/late 13thC English castle.

I had decided to go for the plastered look but have now read that “Harling” wasn’t introduced to Scotland until the mid 14thC. Any historical knowledge of the timing for the practice having been introduced  into England would be greatly appreciated.

Ta



Edit 27/10; title changed to reflect the line of discussion
« Last Edit: October 26, 2018, 06:53:09 AM by Silent Invader »
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Offline Silent Invader

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2018, 12:05:47 PM »
I  have found a source that answers my question as far as France is concerned, which is probably good enough.

Regarding the build of Château de Guédelon, there is this report from 2010:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/medieval-history-in-the-making-2034074.html

Quote
A huge conundrum will arise when Guédelon is finished in roughly 2023 (aka 1254). Should the castle be left in its beautiful raw stones as popular imagination will, wrongly, demand? Or should it be plastered over and painted white, like a giant bungalow?

No final decision has yet been made but Maryline Martin has her own strong opinion. "Our role is to educate the public about history, not to perpetuate misconceptions. We should therefore plaster over the castle and, if it were left to me, it would be painted not white, but in very bright colours. Just think how marvellous that would be."

Offline Arlequín

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2018, 12:30:54 PM »
In more modern times the vain need to 'show the stone' to show it isn't brick, has overridden the good sense of protecting the stone itself.

'Roughcast' was used to weatherproof the tower of St. Alban's Cathedral c. 1005, but that was made of reclaimed Roman brick and tile. I'm pretty confident lime-based renders would be used as soon as they started replacing wood with stone, it's the 'sacrificial' coating that preserves the stone from the elements and where a 'wet' rubble core had been used (mud and rocks etc), it sealed it in to stop it drying out.

Whether the coating would be blinding white, dirty white, grey, or even various shades of brown, is debateable and I imagine would be patchy where new render had been applied to repair the skin in places in any case. Bits of bare stone might also be found before repairs were carried out too.

The 'White Tower' (1078) is the obvious early example of a rendered castle.

Offline Silent Invader

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2018, 01:21:02 PM »
Thanks very much. Of course, The White Tower. That solves it then.  :)

Offline OSHIROmodels

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2018, 01:29:37 PM »
So not Hollywood then  ;)
cheers

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Offline Silent Invader

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2018, 01:40:23 PM »
So not Hollywood then  ;)

Nope, you And the gang convinced me of that  :D

Though it does mean I won’t be making it out of individual bricks.

Offline tin shed gamer

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2018, 01:54:55 PM »
Great minds and all that ;)
I've promised to do a tutorial on this subject( another 'zero' cost one).
As I've come across this issue before for display commission's .It comes down literally to each building and each generation and fashion. But a lime render is very common during periods of unrest as it's was to be part of a defensive strategy.As an attempt to hide any flaws or weak spots in the walls.The best representation of period lime wash and rendering. Is still evident on parish church's ( takes a little tracking down.)Also you can find dozen of examples of domestic rendered building's. That will give you an idea of texture.
The difficulty comes in getting your head around just how gaudy these buildings are to the modern eye. You've got roofs painted in bright colours in chequered patterns or chevrons.
I've just put the base colours on the church Im doing and I'm tempted to weather the walls down as it just feels to bright .But it's correct to the building.
Mark.

Offline Silent Invader

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #7 on: October 25, 2018, 02:09:02 PM »
As OSHIROmodels suggests, I was torn between Hollywood and History. Once I settled on the historical interpretation it was just a matter of timing (as in, when did it start?).

I know it’s only  Wikipedia (though it gives a source) but here’s some interesting comment that references Henry III:

Quote
Henry also undertook maintenance of the White Tower and it was during his reign that the tradition of whitewashing the building began. In March 1240 the Keeper of the Works at the Tower of London was ordered "to have the Great Tower whitened both inside and out". Later that year the king wrote to the Keeper, commanding that the White Tower's lead guttering should be extended with the effect that "the wall of the tower ... newly whitened, may be in no danger of perishing or falling outwards through the trickling of the rain".[7] Henry did not explain his order to whitewash the keep, but may have been influenced by contemporary fashion in Europe to paint prestigious buildings white. He also added decoration to the chapel in the keep, adding stained glass, statues, and paintings.[9]

[7] Impey & Parnell, pp.25-27

[9] Impey & Parnell, p.27

Impey, Edward; Parnell, Geoffrey (2000), The Tower of London: The Official Illustrated History, Merrell Publishers in association with Historic Royal Palaces, ISBN 1-85894-106-7

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Tower_(Tower_of_London)

As mine is set 1250-onwards, looks like whitewash is the fashion to follow. That said, direct onto the stonework or over plaster? I’d assume the latter.
« Last Edit: October 25, 2018, 02:11:54 PM by Silent Invader »

Offline levied troop

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #8 on: October 25, 2018, 05:35:23 PM »
I’ve got a similar project under consideration. Would town walls be any different to castles - less inclined to be updated or given the latest finish?
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Offline Silent Invader

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #9 on: October 25, 2018, 05:50:45 PM »
I’ve no idea but I’m most definitely interested in finding out   :)

Online Captain Blood

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #10 on: October 25, 2018, 05:55:52 PM »
Thanks very much. Of course, The White Tower. That solves it then.  :)

Harlech.
Sorry, not coughing - and I know I say it every time the rendered castle conversation comes up, so sorry if it’s boring, but if the display model in the castle is to be believed, the whole thing was rendered and limewashed so that from the sea it would appear a shining tower and mighty statement of power etc etc.

So, like Minas Tirith, right?  ;)

Offline Silent Invader

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #11 on: October 25, 2018, 06:12:42 PM »
Harlech.
Sorry, not coughing - and I know I say it every time the rendered castle conversation comes up, so sorry if it’s boring, but if the display model in the castle is to be believed, the whole thing was rendered and limewashed so that from the sea it would appear a shining tower and mighty statement of power etc etc.

So, like Minas Tirith, right?  ;)

That’s handy, it’ll work for my LotRs project as well then  :D

Offline OSHIROmodels

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #12 on: October 25, 2018, 07:09:12 PM »
No as that’s Hollywood  ;D

Offline Silent Invader

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #13 on: October 25, 2018, 08:01:13 PM »
No as that’s Hollywood  ;D

You know what you can do  :D

Offline Arlequín

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Re: Mid-Late 13thC Castle Wall Construction (England)
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2018, 10:22:17 PM »
As Mark said, time and place is important. In periods of relative peace communal defences were neglected, to the point of collapse or 'robbing-out' at times. Quite a few places hurriedly executed repairs between 1469 and 1471, following over a century of neglect. Places on the Scots Border and South Coast were constantly maintained on the other hand. London's walls were popularly breached by the Walbrook in the 14th Century, so as to allow discrete direct access to the earthly delights of Shoreditch, rather than to be seen passing through the Bishop's Gate.

Not related really, but fashion also intruded. When you wander around old towns, look out for those old brick walls that bow-out and corners that aren't square; they usually indicate where someone between the 15th-17th Centuries clad their wattle and daub timber-framed house with a brick skin. I've been inside a few that are unchanged from their A-Frame or Cruck origins inside, but are just skinned in brick, sometimes just on the street face. Back then brick was expensive and very much the 'new thing'; the old world equivalent of stone-cladding in recent years.