Castle Hourdings

[UbiqueMatt]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone can help regarding the appearance/colour of timber hourdings (fighting platforms) on medieval castles?

I currently making a model of a great round tower, based on Skenfrith castle (it seemed a good idea when I started) but I'm struggled with the colour schemes. The main body of the castle is going to appear plastered and whitewashed but I'm curious if the hourdings would look any different - the official Skenfrith guide book reconstruction illustrations shows show them as plain timber. However knowing the medieval mindset of using gaudy colour schemes (with the interiors at least) I'm curious with there's any evidence of them being painted, red or white etc.

I've tried looking at my reference books of medieval manuscripts but to no avail. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Matt

[Paul]

After a long search about on the web..nothing. They all seem to be uncoloured, ie; wood colour.
Maybe you could have some of the  hatches painted with diagonal red/white or Black/yellow stripes like they did with  window shutters.

[War In 15MM]

From what little I know of hoardings, they seem to me to be defensive units made to be put together quickly (maybe even pre-made and stored for their moment of need).  I can't say I've ever seen any decorated.  The hoarding display they have at the Tower of London is just unpainted wood as I recall.  When I made mine I got some good ideas from a website entitled Harness and Array.  About six or seven pages back on their old posts you should be able to see what they have done.  You can see my scratch built hoardings for my castle siege gallery at www.warin15mm.com/Medieval-.html

[Furt]

Hey Matt,

Your tower and it's hoarding looks great.

Personally I would leave them as bare timber.

[janner]

The extent to which hoardings were used is still in debate, but I'm generally a fan 

Illustrations are few and far between, but I don't know of any that show brightly coloured hoardings. However, similar hoardings were seemingly sometimes painted when added to Cogs. So there is something to indicate it might have been done.

Regards,

[painterman]

Hi
I had a look into this when getting some wooden hoardings added to Hudson and Allen castle walls a couple of years ago (the 'Harness and Array' blog mentioned earlier).
My conclusion is that were most likely NOT painted and this is how I had them done. There is no clear evidence (and  probably won't ever be any - unless castle accounts are found for the purchase of large quantities of paint!). This is despite the medieval men and women's love for most things to be decorated in bright colours, which to our eyes today would appear 'cheap and vivid'....church interiors being the most notable example.
However my theory is that this decoration tended to be reserved for the inside of buildings...and anyway who would want the task of painting the outside of wooden hoardings, 100 feet off the ground!

As with most things medieval, do what you think looks right, you probably won't be too far wrong anyway!
Hope that helps,
Simon.

[janner]

That's true Simon, although we do have evidence that they sometimes white washed the exterior walls. So painting them white isn't too big a leap.

Regards

[Patrice]

I think that most of the time, they were not painted because they were provisional defense and not supposed to be very nice.

However we cannot be sure that some were not built to last many years. On some castle walls, or city walls, you still can see the stones which could have supported hoardings. Perhaps in some cases some hoardings could be built to last long, and painted to improve the appareance of the castle (and paint protects the wood from rotting too fast).

In modern times, when people build a shed for their lawnmower near their house, sometimes they don't mind if it's ugly, sometimes they want it to be beautiful but it's more expensive.

[Atheling]

I think it would certainly depend upon who's property the hoardings adorned and at what point in history.

I can certainly see a man like the Earl of Warwick adding additional colour to his already luxurious abode. Same for the Sforza and Medici families (amongst many other of course). I doubt many cities would have this far as they would have had to consider the cost- cost was a big thing in the Middle Ages.

Also, if they were indeed sometimes painted they would almost certainly not have been painted on the battlements! Rather as someone suggested earlier, they would have been built, painted and stored until they were needed.

I think Janner has a point, for the none decorative (ie cheep!) approach why not just whitewash to fit with a curtain wall's finish?

Also, Simon makes a good point, I've never heard of any evidence of hoardings being painted but I have seen plenty of evidence of gaudy opulence in the manner in which the nobility wore their clothes, painted their interiors  etc.

I think we're mostly telling you that you should follow your nose on this subject  

Just my tuppence worth.

Darrell.

[UbiqueMatt]

Thanks for all the comments and thoughts.

I have actually painted the model a shade of dark red but frankly ("Don't call me Frankly") it doesn't look right at all but I now tend to think that the timber should be left self coloured, ironically as it is shown in the guide book illustrations. Hence I intend to repaint the whole thing. I'll post photos of the model 'before and after' the new paint job but not until I go castle hunting in Kent next week.

Thanks again.
Regards,
Matt

[Atheling]

I'll post photos of the model 'before and after' the new paint job but not until I go castle hunting in Kent next week.

Thanks again.
Regards,
Matt

I look forward to seeing what you go for Frank/Matt 

Darrell.

[War In 15MM]

Matt, I missed your link when I sent my original message.  Your hoarding looks great, really beautiful construction.  Richard

[UbiqueMatt]

@ Darrell - I should be able to post some images up first week in October, I've had a few more ideas about a few details which hopefully should be interesting.

@ Richard - your models and set ups look fantastic, I'll have to put the hours (and years) in the match those in 28mm!

[Atheling]

@ Darrell - I should be able to post some images up first week in October, I've had a few more ideas about a few details which hopefully should be interesting.

@ Richard - your models and set ups look fantastic, I'll have to put the hours (and years) in the match those in 28mm!

Look forward to it mate. Have a nice 'holiday'  .

Darrell.

[War In 15MM]

Matt, I was lucky that my towers are square.  Putting hoardings on a round tower, as you are, takes real talent.  My hat is off to you.  Wonderful job.  Richard