What where 16th century houses like?
Rich people had adequate houses – castles were nothing like the popular imagination depicts them – they were built of stone, were cold, drafty and poorly lighted – but they did provide adequate housing. Houses for poor people were usually hovels or shacks. They were very small, heated only by a fireplace (which was also used for cooking) had no running water (but castles didn’t, either) or plumbing (ditto) and were lit either by the firelight or by candles. The striking thing about housing for both the rich and the poor was how small the rooms were and, in the case of the poorer people, how many people lived in one room.
