The Great Lodge of Ware (12 pics)

For most of human history, sleeping arrangements were extremely simple. People would throw a bunch of straw or leaves on the floor, cover it with animal skin or coarse linen, and cover themselves with a cloak or blanket.





It was only in the Middle Ages that it became possible to indulge in a little luxury. Mattresses were stuffed with feathers, wool, or horsehair, depending on the desired level of comfort, with feather mattresses considered the softest and most expensive. No less attention was paid to the bed frame: wooden headboards were decorated with carvings, inlays and paintings, and embroidered bedspreads and decorative pillows were placed on top of the mattress.

The King of All Beds



The largest bed in the world, the Ware Great Bed, is now kept in London's Victoria and Albert Museum.





By the 14th century, beds had become one of the most prized possessions in a home, and some were created solely to impress. The finest bed in the house was displayed in the main room for guests to admire. Richly decorated with silk, velvet, fur, and even gold brocade, it was intended for important guests, although in reality, almost no one ever slept in it.



When William Shakespeare died, he bequeathed his "second best bed" to his wife, Anne Hathaway. While some saw this odd dispensation as an insult, the playwright most likely had in mind the marital bed, which was associated with the warmest memories.



It was in the 14th century that the first canopy beds appeared - on four posts supporting the top panel. Curtains were attached to it, which protected the sleepers from drafts and prying eyes, because servants often slept in the same room with the owners.



Since the 15th century, beds have become incredibly large - up to 2.5 meters wide. But the most grandiose of them is, without a doubt, the Great Ware Bed, which is now kept in the Victoria and Albert Museum. This gigantic four-pillar monster, measuring 3.3 by 3 meters, could accommodate four couples, and no one would touch anyone else.

The Legendary Bed



The Great Lodge of Ware was built around 1590, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, most likely as a publicity stunt for an inn in the town of Ware, Hertfordshire. The town was on the route from London to Cambridge and further north, and travellers often stopped there for the night.



The wooden panels of the bed are decorated with Renaissance-style carvings - ribbon ornaments, acanthus leaves, images of lions and satyrs, symbolizing strength and fertility. The bed was originally painted in bright colors, and with luxurious canopies and bedspreads, it must have made a dazzling impression, especially with the flickering candles.

The Bed in History and Literature



The bed was first mentioned in 1596 — it was described by a German prince who stayed at the White Hart tavern. And in 1601 it entered the history of literature: in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Sir Toby Belch compares a large sheet of paper with "a sheet from Ware's bed."

Later, the bed appeared in plays by Thomas Dekker, Ben Jonson, Richard Brom, and in 1821 — in Byron's Don Juan.

Traces of Time



Unfortunately, over the centuries the bed suffered greatly from its guests. Couples who spent the night on it considered it their duty to carve their initials into the wood or leave a wax seal.

For three centuries the bed wandered around various taverns in Ware, until in 1870 it moved to Hoddesdon, where it became a local landmark.



In 1931, the Victoria and Albert Museum purchased it for £4,000 — four times the annual budget of the furniture department. Thus, the Ware Great Bed became the most expensive bed in the history of the museum.



And now this gigantic monument to luxury and human fantasy reminds us of the times when even sleep could be, if not royal, then certainly unforgettable.