There are mice and rats aplenty in our fort. It seems that in our day vermin were much more common than pets. A cat was a precious possession, you might say.

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You have been wondering if there was both a castle and a fort, or if we mixed the titles. No, there were both. The castle was not large, as you imagine a grand castle. It was the home of a duke, when this was a dukedom. The castle was toward higher ground in the valley and had the advantage of having fences around it to enclose our animals, and more fitting-size rooms for temporary habitation. In later years it became our monastery where was the leaded glass window Emery did meditate upon.

The castle was built also of large grey stones. It was built all at one time, not long before we took up habitation in it. It had been totally abandoned, though, and the growth of brambles and freezing had taken its toll on some of the stonework. The stone in this part was a poor grade of granite that is liable to crumbling upon exposure to extremes of weather.

The inner court became our garden area, when we took up the structure as our monastery. Many of the rooms we never reclaimed for use, only occasionally using them for storage. It was just too large a structure for the numbers who dwelt within its walls, but sound and pleasant in its internal structure. There were many vaulted arches and little rooms and balconies, scaled more to human scale than many castles. It was rather a “homey” structure for a stone building of it size.

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There are forests in the hills near where we live, much like those of the area in which I spent my childhood. The trees are left as a sort of preserve, though at this time there is no satisfactory way of transporting them, even if we desired to do so. They are very large and there are no large beasts of burden in these parts. There is not one single horse left in the county and only a few cows.

(*

The ruined fort is which we spent part of our time is built of timbers and stone, which is why there was the preserve of trees. The trees are left for large purposes and are not wasted for fuel or fences. We have long-since ceased to use logs and lumber in much of our building, it is too precious.

The old fort is a structure built in three different periods. It was first a Roman structure, inhabited by the Normans at a later period, and added onto successively by local inhabitants.

There is one old tower, which has lost part of one side. The tower is nearly 100 feet high, from lowest ground level. It is not turreted or capped, but plain. It is built of large, grey stones, laid together without mortar. There is a staircase which runs up the inside, in circular fashion. The steps are vary wide, nearly 14 inches – not by your standards, but for our time.

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There are a few small windows toward the top of the tower and a paved surface at the top where the staircase emerges.

The fort itself has a number of rooms, large and small. Some of the larger rooms were built to be used as stables and enclosures for men and equipment of war. There was a great room for assemblies that was not really as large as it sounds, but was called a great room. There are many smaller rooms for living and sleeping quarters and a dining area with scullery, or kitchen.

This structure has never been all in repair at one time, suffering various loss and decay with time. It is built of several types of stone construction, has different styles of doorways and window- openings, and presents a rather disorderly appearance.

+ + +

We are in the deep misery of another long winter. There are cattle and sheep dying from the cold. We brought some within the castle walls for protection, but they are not well-fed enough to maintain their body heat against such extreme temperatures.

There are people dying as well. All surface water is frozen and finding a water supply has become a grave problem. covered deep wells are not frozen, but their surfaces are, and finding a means to break through the ice so we can get water has given us meager shares of

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drinkables. We are near suffering from dehydration.

We have enough food this year but are beginning to run short of fuel. Babies and old people are suffering miserably. we huddle together for what warmth we can give each other and sing ourselves to sleep. We do a great deal of sleeping as that is all we have energy and warmth enough to do. we have not pursued our usual winter tasks.

The cold came on severely in November this year and it is now February and no end in sight. Previous experience tells us that this cold weather could last until March, though not nearly as severe in degree as at present.

Our spirits are satisfied that we will survive, but passing the time is difficult. We tell stories and play hand games. We have composed many riddles and songs and planned many adventures for the warm weather.

In order to keep our bodies warm we eat much fat and bee-comb. There is something in the comb that gives a warm glow and seems to help warm the extremities. It has a very soothing effect and since it can be chewed a long while, it gives one occupation.

God will see us through this time, but the waiting is difficult.

+ + +

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You are curious about our ordinary life.

We slept in beds, some very much like yours. some beds were made up on a wooden frame with a support of woven leather for the mattress to set upon. sometimes a mattress stuffed with straw supported a feather-filled mattress.

When staying in the fort, we used a pallet, a single mattress that could be rolled up. This was the common sleeping surface for children and in simpler homes.

Some homes have alcoves or shelf-like areas for a mattress or pallet. These are usually in the newer homes.

Bedding is also similar to yours. We used sheets on a regular bed and comforters or feather-beds on the bed in winter. We used quilts and comforters where you use blankets. We also had a padded bag like your “sleep sack,” used chiefly by children and those who slept alone.

Our standard of cleanliness was not as high as yours today but we did quite well with the conditions at hand. It was difficult to wash bedding and clothing as frequently as you are used to. We did air and shake our bedding and clothing and kept surfaces swept and dusted. People from your time would probably find it difficult to live in our conditions.

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We did not have good food storage conditions and ate food in a state you would find inedible. We had customary means of determining edibility and were seldom made ill by spoiled foods. We had some pets – cats, of course, and dogs. We fed them some of our leftover food but mostly let them forage. They were not well-kept by your standards. In better times the children also had ponies and small horses. Pet birds were kept in some homes, usually common birds that we caught and caged. They make quite satisfactory pets.