in 1578 to celebrate his recovery of the property after the family lost it when Sir Thomas Arundell was executed in 1552. Above the coat of arms is the head of Christ in a niche with the inscription: Sub nomine tuo stet genus et domus. Central courtyard In the 1570s, most of the original medieval windows and doors would have been replaced. In the centre of this interior courtyard, there is a well. Evidence gathered from other castles from the same era suggests that there would have been an elaborate and impressive roof over the well, carved and painted with the emblems of the Lovells and the Arundells. In 1644 when the south-west side of the castle was blown up during the Civil War (see above), the courtyard changed from a dark and claustrophobic place to a light, spacious sanctuary. It was in the shape of a hexagon, surrounded by four or five storeys. Great Hall At the top of the stairs leading from the courtyard, any medieval visitor would have found themselves in a passageway that, on the left, led into the great hall behind a wooden screen with arched openings. This room was the formal heart of the castle, where the whole household would meet for feasts and special occasions. The walls were covered in rich fabrics that concealed machinery that controlled the two portcullises. In the 1570s, Matthew Arundell refurbished the Great Hall. A new musicians' gallery was built above the wooden entrance screen. The fireplace was reshaped and new wooden panels were put in place of the wall hangings and banners. The doorway leading from the great hall into the lobby was also redesigned. The tall windows and the old wooden roof were retained, and it is thought that this was to preserve some elements of Lord Lovell's castle. Lobby The lobby was a narrow room which was used to entertain guests with sweetmeats after the meal while the tables were being cleared in the Great Hall to create space for dancing. Such spaces were popular features of medieval houses. In the 1570s Matthew Arundell had the room fitted with new fireplaces and altered the stairs in the north tower at the same time to give a more private approach to the upper rooms. Upper rooms Today, very little remains of the upper rooms, which once would have been the most inviting part of the castle.