From the ground up

My Dear Friend,

Today I was studying North Wind's floor plans. The town in particular held my attention and as I looked it over some of the road names stood out to me. I think I will need to change many of them because they are too cliche or odd.

I have included a copy of the drawing for you in this letter.

I am fond of Piccadilly, Gillygate and Paragon, however, I think I'll change Lord Mayor's walk to Lord Provost's walk. I want the feel of the names to be medieval, but I would also like them to denote what part of town they are in.

The idea for different districts within the town came from reading Beka Cooper Terrier by Tamora Pierce (A fascinating read if you have the time). There are patrols of day and night guards who help keep the town safe like modern day police. The big difference is that they are on foot at all times and do not have guns, but batons. Hopefully they will be more for show than necessity at North Wind, but only time will tell.

This is all I shall write for now,

Caddwyn

The End of Waiting

My Dear Friend,

The end of one experience gives way to the beginning of another. As I finish my last year of college I will begin to prepare myself to embark on the adventure I have been waiting to begin since I was thirteen. That summer I began to form the idea that would grow into my life ambition; North Wind Castle. North Wind is to be a sanctuary for anyone who is intrigued by majestic castles, merry feasts, daring swordsmen, medieval music or any of the many other things you might find within stone walls and secret passageways.

When I started reading about far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells and Prince's in disguise I began to dream of a place grounded in reality, yet governed by the imagination. A place where learning about real history could give us a glance into the world of 'Happily Ever After.' In May of my thirteenth year, my family and I were on a vacation in Minnesota. We were camping in our pop up trailer at Gooseberry Falls State Park when I first had the idea to build a living history castle and summer camp. In the many years following that trip I drew floor plans, researched everything medieval and wrote about every possible topic concerning the castle, town and future employees and patrons.

North Wind is designed to be the castle of a governing medieval monarch with an adjoining town, lands and forest. Within the castle's walls there will be a keep, kitchen, stable, smithy, barracks, and mews amongst other things. The keep it's self will be seven stories tall with crenelated walls and arched windows. It will hold the great hall, library, knight's and squires ward, guests ward and even the monarch's ward as well as other things (including secret passageways). The castle's wall will be encircled by a mote, and past the drawbridge will lie the town full of taverns, shops, inns and markets. Here performances will be held and the people of North Wind will illustrate history. In a clearing within the forest weekly fairs will be held and occasionally a tournament or two will take place. At the beginning of the road that leads to the town, and eventually the castle, will be a parking lot with a single building. This building will be both a gift shop and a costuming warehouse. On the way in and out guests will stop in here to purchase necessities or mementos, and exchange clothing and costumes.

North Wind will offer summer camps, a bed & breakfast and daily admittance to the town and castle. The summer camps will be two weeks of complete immersion in 11th to early 13th century medieval castle life. The camps will hold a maximum of 24 campers with a 3:1 camper to counselor ratio. The campers and counselors will stay on the sixth floor of the keep where there are eight rooms and each will have four twin four poster beds with canopies and drapes. Each camper will be given period clothing which they will wear for the duration of their stay. The counselors will come a week early to learn about their role and accustom themselves to the life before there charges arrive.

North Wind's bed and breakfast will offer 1 costume and a continental medieval breakfast per guest per night. The 15 Bed and Breakfast rooms will be located in 3 of the castle's towers, which include suites for 6, family suites, and couples retreats. B & B guests must bring their own clothes but are encouraged to take advantage of the built in costume rental fee that comes with their room cost. If they are attending the weekly Saturday fair or any place or event on-site, they are required to dress period, as must everyone.

Daily admittance to North Wind will include field trips, day tours, group or family tours, and site seeing adventures to the castle and town. There will also be a special opportunity twice a month to purchase a trail ride with lunch on the trail and dinner at the riverside tavern in the town. Every tour will include a costume for each guest as part of the package. Come spend a day as a Peasant or Noble and see firsthand the town's day to day happenings. You may also strike up a conversation with the comely wench or knave you pass on the street.

North Wind has finally become what I will write about here after almost a decade of work and planning. The only thing it lacks at this point is physical reality. The goal of this blog is to promote interest, support, and funding as well as to begin gathering a fan/clientele base. So the important question I pose to each individual reading this is: Would you yourself, or someone you know, (child, friend, spouse, neighbor, coworker) be interested in attending, staying at or working for North Wind when (if) it opens?

Eagerly awaiting your reply, Your Friend

Lady Caddwyn