Mountfitchet Castle

On Sunday, me and some friends went out for the day and we went to Mountfitchet Castle in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex. It's a reconstructed wooden motte and bailey castle situated on it's original site, that allows you to experience what it would have been like to live in 1066. Living in those times wouldn't have been fun, it must have been very cold, smelly, dirty and miserable. They only bathed once a month and god help you if you were injured in any way, no anaesthetic, nothing would be sterile and they had some rather nasty looking tools to perform surgery with. It got me thinking about OCD, would anyone have suffered with that in those times or is it a 'new' illness that's come about from our way of living today? How on earth would someone cope with a cleaning obsession living in 1066?

In the village area you can wander in and out of all the buildings, the prison, kitchen, church, brewhouse, and other areas including the gallows and stocks.

My friend Mairghread in the stocks - we did let her out!

And they have animals roaming around just like they would have back then, they have sheep, goats, hens, deer, peacocks and ducks.

And you get to try on some helmets too.

I don't think they needed to worry about the helmet fitting over glasses back then!

And dare you sit in the fertility chair?

According to the sign,

'A chair similar to this, has been used since pagan times to help with the fertility of both men and women. This ancient ritual was handed down from generation to generation over the centuries. Persons wishing to try the magic of this mystic Fertility chair must follow the strict instructions laid down by the Sorcerers:-

1. First you must be seated on the chair
2. Cross your right foot over your left ankle whilst keeping your knees tight together
3. Hold your right earlobe with your left hand
4. Place your right hand on your left knee
5. Close your eyes then repeat the word 'magog' five times for the spell to work

Can you feel a tingle?'

I wonder if it'll work....time will tell........

Not only do you get to do all this, you get to visit the House on the Hill Toy Museum too, guaranteed to bring the kid out in you. See if you can spot some toys you used to own, and have a go on the old penny arcade machines.

After all this fun it was time for us to have our picnic, we'd all brought some food with us and it ended up looking like a banquet! And of course the moment the food was out, so were the wasps. Needless to say that the picnic wasn't enjoyed in a peaceful calm manor - there were a few yelps, screams and a bit of running away!