WELCOME TO MAY HALF TERM at Leeds Castle

These herbs can all help with wind and excessive flatulence​!

1. Castle Walls had shelves with holes on the outside so defenders could climb out and drop oil on the attacker’s head. ​
   
   FALSE – Boiling oil was far too expensive! Instead of hot oil, defenders poured water (hot or cold!), stones, or even quicklime down on anyone foolish enough to attack. Cheaper, faster, and still nasty! Next time you cross the causeway, look up, you might spot the holes where they made medieval mischief rain down!
   
2. Leeds Castle has two portcullises that were used to slice enemies in half if they came in uninvited.
   
   FALSE! (Well… a little bit true!) – Portcullises were big, spiky, metal gates that slid down to block the entrance when enemies came knocking. Their real job? To stop attackers getting in, not to slice them like sausages. BUT… if you happened to be standing under one when it dropped…let’s just say it didn’t end well. Leeds Castle has not one, but two portcullises. Can you find them? 🔎 One is in the Barbican… the other guards the Castle entrance. Go on a portcullis hunt…just don’t stand underneath if it starts to move!
   
3. The castle toilet was called the ‘garderobe’ because it protected your clothes from moths.
   
   TRUE – Believe it or not, the medieval loo was a top place to store your best outfits! The word garderobe means ‘guard robe’, because people hung their clothes in the toilet to stop moths munching them. Why? The stink was so foul, moths couldn’t stand it! Even kings and queens had pongy privies. So next time you’re moaning about a smelly bathroom…just be glad your wardrobe isn’t in there too!
   
4. Stones and dead horses were catapulted over castle walls to crush people. Human heads and bee hives were also thrown.​
   
   TRUE – Medieval warfare was messy and minging! Attackers hurled huge stones to smash walls and squish soldiers, but they didn’t stop there. Dead horses? Chucked in to spread disease. Human heads? Yep, usually from captured defenders (they didn’t waste their own troops!). And beehives? That’s right! Buzzing bombs launched to unleash angry swarms. Great if you like honey… not so great if you’re on the receiving end of a very angry bee brigade.
   
5. Tortoise shells were cut and polished to make arrowheads. A craftsman could make twenty-four arrowheads from one tortoise as well as eat the tortoise afterwards. ​
   
   FALSE – While it’s true that the Romans used the word testudo (that’s Latin for tortoise) to describe a shield formation that covered their backs like a shell, medieval soldiers weren’t turning tortoises into weapons or dinner. Most of them had never even seen one! But the name stuck! “Tortoise” just meant a protective cover.