For many knights, "home" was a campaign tent. They spent months on the road, living out of a canvas bubble, fighting wars that were basically property disputes between grumpy dukes. A knight's tent was his castle—as long as you didn't mind the rain leaking through and the local peasants stealing your horse.
They also lived in garrison forts—small, stone boxes along borders or trade routes. Think of it as a medieval motel with no swimming pool, just a lot of walls and a constant chance of being attacked. The Antiques Roadshow would have valued the decor at "depressing."
Explore the Lives of Middle Ages Persons: An In-Depth Look
But Wait—There Were Castle-Wives
If a knight did marry and inherit, his wife basically ran the castle. She was the real landlord while he was off clanking around in the mud. The castle was her domain—she managed the kitchen, the guards, and the laundry. The knight came home to a warm fire and a wife who probably rolled her eyes at his battle scars. "Another dent in your helmet, honey? Let me get the hammer."
However, a knight's home was rarely still. They traveled to tournaments, to courts, to pilgrimage sites. Their "living room" was a saddle. They were medieval roadies, and their home was wherever their lord’s next feast was held. It’s exhausting just thinking about it.
