"The medevil rubbish bin"

At the bottom of the east facing wall is a small door with a chute that goes down to ground level. This is your basic bin of the 17th century.

At one time, when the Great Hall was fully in use by the main household the floor would have been covered in reeds from the nearby marshland as a sort of modern day carpet about two inches in depth.

Once the reeds would start to rot along with any excrement from animals and food scraps it would all have been swept into a pile and then the little door opened and all the material pushed down the hole.

Once the materials got to the botton it would have been scooped out by other staff and disposed off within the marshland that surrounded the castle or just left to rot where it landed.

It is entirely possible that this wooden door is the original 17th century door, but more than likely was replaced in the early 20th century when the castle was altered and a more modern door attached with new metalwork and hinges.

A light fitting was added in 1974 for visitors to the castle to peer down into the chute and illuminate it..
HUNTERSTON CASTLE
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