Dr Pamela Marshall FSA “The priest & knight may come in” but who else populated the medieval castle

The deliberately overbearing and overtly militaristic nature of the medieval castle may have, perhaps not surprisingly, perpetuated a popular view in the public imagination about who predominantly constituted the occupants of medieval castles: great lords and men-at-arms immediately spring to mind. But who else typically lived in castles? How diverse was the castle community? What roles did individuals have within it and how were their lives organised, both on a practical and a social level, within those curtain walls? Here we take a look behind the castle gates to explore the evidence that enables us to provide some answers to these questions.
Dr Pamela Marshall is a retired buildings archaeologist who lectured at the University of Nottingham. Her particular specialism is in medieval castles, with a particular interest in the relationship between the design and development of French castles and those on this side of the Channel and their practical use. She has published widely on the subject. She now occasionally acts in an advisory academic capacity, still writes, and also represents Great Britain on the international Permanent Committee of the Château Gaillard Colloque, the leading body that promotes the study of medieval castles in Europe.