Winterfell

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire

Winterfell Castle, Regional Capital
Artwork by lykhaon ©
Location	Westeros, North
Government	House Stark , Feudal Lord.
Religion	Old gods
Founded	Age of Heroes
Notable places	The Great Keep, Glass Garden, Winter Town

Winterfell

The North and the location of Winterfell

Winterfell by Feliche©

Winterfell is the ancestral castle and seat of power of House Stark and is considered to be the capital of the North. It is located in the center of the northern province of the Seven Kingdoms, on the Kingsroad that runs from King's Landing to the Wall.

History

Winterfell was supposedly built by Brandon the Builder over eight thousand years ago, with the help of giants.^[1] For most of recorded history Winterfell was the seat of House Stark, the Kings in the North and later as Wardens of the North, after King Torrhen Stark bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror and his dragons. As the regional capital of the North, harvest festivities have been hosted in Winterfell for centuries.

Layout

1.North Gate 2.Broken Tower 3.Glass Garden 4.Crypts 5.First Keep 6.Godswood 7. Guards Hall 8.East Gate 9.Armory 10.Hunter's Gate 11.kennels 12.Guest House 13. Bridge between the Armory and the Great Keep 14.Great Keep 15.Maester's Turret 16.Kitchen 17.Courtyard 18.Bell Tower 19.Library Tower 20.Sept 21.Stables 22.Great Hall 23.Smithy 24.South Gate

Winterfell is a huge castle complex spanning several acres, consisting of two massive walls and a village located just outside called the "winter town".^[2] Winterfell itself has been built around an ancient godswood and over natural hot springs. The water is piped through walls and chambers to heat them, making Winterfell more comfortable than other castles during the harsh northern winter.

Inside the walls, the complex is composed of dozens of courtyards and small open spaces. Weapons training and practice take place in those yards. The inner ward is a second, much older open space in the castle where archery practice takes place. It is located next to the broken tower. Inside Winterfell stands the Inner Castle, which contains the Great Keep and the Great Hall.

Inner Castle

• The Great Keep is the innermost castle and stronghold of the castle complex. It was built over natural hot springs to keep it warm.^[3] Its walls are made of granite. It is connected to the armory by a covered bridge.^[4] From a window on the covered bridge, one can see the entire yard.^[5]

• The Great Hall is used for receiving guests and the place where the household would dine together, including the lord of the house. The Great Hall is very large. On the outside it is enclosed with grey stone and covered with banners, with wide doors made of oak and iron, which opens to the castle yard, whilst a rear exit leads to a dimly-lit gallery. Inside it can hold eight long rows of trestle tables, four to each side of the central aisle, and can seat 500 people. There is a raised platform for noble guests.^[6]

• The Sept is a small sept built for Catelyn Tully by her husband Lord Eddard Stark.^[7]

Courtyard and Misc.

Winterfell throne by Marc Simonetti ©

The Great Keep© Fantasy Flight Games

The Godswood (TV Series)

• The First Keep, a squat round fortress, is the oldest part of the castle. It is no longer in use. Around it lies a lichyard where the Kings of Winter would lay their loyal servants. The keep has gargoyles atop it.^[8]

• The Broken Tower, also known as the Burned Tower, was once the tallest watchtower in Winterfell. Over 140 years ago a lightning strike set it afire and the top third collapsed inward, but no one bothered to rebuild it.^[9][10] It stands behind the old inner ward.

• The Godswood is an ancient godswood that has stood untouched for 10,000 years, with three acres of old packed earth and close together trees creating a dense canopy, which the castle was raised around. At the center of the grove stands an ancient weirwood with a face carved into it, standing over a pool of black water.^[7] Across the godswood from the heart tree, beneath the windows of the Guest House, an underground hot spring feeds three small pools, with a moss covered wall looming above them. The godswood is enclosed by walls, and is accessed by a main iron gate, or smaller wooden ones.

• The Glass Garden is a greenhouse heated by the hot springs, which turn it into a place of moist warmth.^[3] It is used to grow fruits, vegetables and flowers.^[5][11]

• The Crypts are where the bones of all of the Kings in the North and ruling lords of Winterfell are buried. The underground crypts are long and narrow, with pillars moving two by two along its length. Between pillars stand the sepulchers of the Starks of Winterfell, the likenesses of the dead seated on thrones, with iron swords set before them to keep the restless spirits from wandering, and snarling direwolves at their feet. The crypts are located deep under the earth, cavernous and bigger than the complex above ground. They are accessed by a twisting stone stair and a huge ironwood door that lies at a slant to the floor. The stair continues below to older levels where the most ancient Kings in the North are entombed.^[12][8][13]

• The Bell Tower is connected to the rookery by a bridge. The bridge is covered and runs from the fourth floor of the tower to the second floor of the rookery.^[4]

• The Maester's Turret is located below the rookery.^[14]

• The Library Tower houses the library at Winterfell. A stonework staircase winds about its exterior.^[4]

• The Guards Hall is in line with the Bell Tower, and further back, the First Keep.^[15]

External Walls

Winterfell is a huge castle complex spanning several acres, defended by two massive granite walls with a wide moat between them. The outer wall is eighty feet high, while the inner is one hundred feet high, with a wide moat between them. There are guard turrets on the outer wall and more than thirty watch turrets on the crenelated inner walls.

The main gatehouse is made of two huge crenelated bulwarks which flank the arched gate and drawbridge that opens into the market square. There are three additional gates - the Hunter's Gate directly on the opposite side of the castle, the south gate, and the northern gate. There is a narrow tunnel inside of the inner wall stretching halfway around the castle, allowing travel from the south gate all the way to the northern gate without interruption.

• The Hunter's Gate is a gate located close to the kennels and the kitchens. It opens directly onto the open fields and the Wolfswood, so people can come and go without having to cross through the winter town. It is favored by hunting parties.^[2]

• The East Gate is part of the main gatehouse, located on the eastern inner walls. It opens onto the King's Gate located in the outer walls and leads to the Kingsroad.^[13]

Winter Town

The winter town, so-called because it lies mostly deserted during summer years, is where smallfolk gather in winters. It is located outside the walls of Winterfell. Its market square is filled with wooden stalls for merchants, while its streets are muddy and lined with rows of houses made from log and undressed stone. Less than one in five are occupied during the summer, but they fill up once winter arrives.^[16] The Kingsroad sits beyond the winter town, which would put it to the east of Winterfell.^[17] There is an inn in the winter town.^[18]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Lord Eddard Stark hosts King Robert Baratheon and the royal family at Winterfell after the death of Lord Jon Arryn. Robb Stark remains in the castle when Eddard travels south to King's Landing to serve as the new Hand of the King. A fire is started in the Library Tower in order to distract the guards during an attempt on Bran Stark's life.^[19]

When Robb hears that Eddard has been taken prisoner in King's Landing, he raises the northern bannerman and marches south to rescue his father. Bran remains as the Stark in Winterfell. The direwolf Lady is buried in the lichyard of the First Keep.^[20] Catelyn Tully appoints Ser Rodrik Cassel the castellan of Winterfell.^[21]

A Clash of Kings

Bran, the Stark in Winterfell in Robb's absence, hosts numerous northern lords for the harvest feast.^[22] Songs performed during the festival include "Iron Lances", "The Burning of the Ships", and "The Bear and the Maiden Fair".

During the War of the Five Kings, Winterfell is captured in a surprise attack by the ironmen led by Theon Greyjoy.^[23] He rules the castle for several weeks, but he lacks the manpower to hold it indefinitely against the Stark bannermen.

The castle is sacked and burned by Ramsay Snow, after his force of Dreadfort men turn on his fellow northmen and double-cross Theon, taking him prisoner.^[24] The ceiling of the Great Hall and one whole side of the First Keep collapse during the Sack of Winterfell. A steaming lake forms at the bottom of the Library Tower, while the Maester's Turret and the bridge connecting the Bell Tower to the rookery are destroyed.^[13] Bran and Rickon Stark, undetected in the crypts, make their escape from Winterfell in the aftermath.

A Dance with Dragons

The Boltons travel to Winterfell in preparation for the wedding of "Arya Stark" with Ramsay Snow, now legitimized as Ramsay Bolton. Lord Roose Bolton, the new Warden of the North, finds the ruined castle a refuge of more then two dozen squatters. When he tells them he will be merciful if they serve well, they are used for a labour force in rebuilding Winterfell. They rebuild burned gates and raise a new roof over the Great Hall. After the work is completed Roose has them all hanged; true to his word he is merciful and does not flay a one.^[25]

Ramsay marries "Arya" in the godswood and becomes Lord of Winterfell. Lord Wyman Manderly furnishes the wedding feast and asks the singer Abel to sing of the Rat Cook.^[25]

During a winter storm that hits Winterfell, Theon and Lady Barbrey Dustin discover that swords are missing from the crypts.^[26] Tensions heighten during the storm as several Freys and northerners are found dead.^[27] Theon and "Arya" flee the castle after Freys fight with Manderly men.^[28]

The Winds of Winter

After learning that Stannis Baratheon's army is three days march from Winterfell, Roose sends out the Freys and Manderlys, as well as Ramsay and his men, but keeps much of his own strength behind in Winterfell. According to Theon, Roose is keeping his own men back as a reserve, as he once did in the Riverlands, to weaken potential rivals.^[29]

Chapters that take place in Winterfell

• A Game of Thrones: 2. Catelyn I
• A Game of Thrones: 4. Eddard I
• A Game of Thrones: 5. Jon I
• A Game of Thrones: 6. Catelyn II
• A Game of Thrones: 7. Arya I
• A Game of Thrones: 8. Bran II
• A Game of Thrones: 9. Tyrion I
• A Game of Thrones: 10. Jon II
• A Game of Thrones: 14. Catelyn III
• A Game of Thrones: 17. Bran III
• A Game of Thrones: 24. Bran IV
• A Game of Thrones: 53. Bran VI
• A Game of Thrones: 66. Bran VII
• A Clash of Kings: 4. Bran I
• A Clash of Kings: 16. Bran II
• A Clash of Kings: 21. Bran III
• A Clash of Kings: 28. Bran IV
• A Clash of Kings: 35. Bran V
• A Clash of Kings: 46. Bran VI
• A Clash of Kings: 50. Theon IV
• A Clash of Kings: 56. Theon V
• A Clash of Kings: 66. Theon VI
• A Clash of Kings: 69. Bran VII
• A Dance with Dragons: 37. The Prince of Winterfell
• A Dance with Dragons: 41. The Turncloak
• A Dance with Dragons: 46. A Ghost in Winterfell
• A Dance with Dragons: 51. Theon I

References and Notes