The Northern Hemisphere has now officially entered autumn, or we have in the middle of Canada, at least. And when it gets colder and foggy and much darker out, we look to the cosy for comfort. We have cable knit sweaters to keep us warm throughout the day, and we curl up with up with good books to keep our minds busy. But at the end of day, most of us just want a good bed to fall asleep in. And the V&A has a particular bed that trumps all other beds: the Great Bed of Ware.
What is the Great Bed of Ware?
The V&A describes the bed as,
The spectacular four-poster bed is famously over three metres wide – the only known example of a bed of this size, and reputedly able to accommodate at least four couples!
The gigantic bed carries a reputation which is a little racier than most historic furniture in the museum. Constructed around 1590, it was most likely made as a tourist attraction for an inn in Ware, Hertfordshire. Ware was a day’s journey from London and a convenient overnight stop for travellers going to Cambridge University or further north. Guests carved their initials into the wood, or applied red wax seals to mark their night in the bed, still visible on the bedposts and headboard today.
While one could imagine lascivious situations involving a massive bed, it is very possible that it is the Elizabethan equivalent of the world’s largest dump truck…
Why Do We Know the Great Bed?
There are a lot of these attractions throughout the world that most of us never know about, even if we live near by. However, the Bed has good reason for being famous- both William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson have name checked it. (You can find it in the comedic genius of Twelfth Night and Epicoene.) It continues to be mentioned throughout the following centuries, including in verses about the Great Fire in 1666. This bed does look like it has the option to be cosy, but whose current floor plan is going to allow for it?…
If you want to do deeper dive on the Great Bed of Ware, you can find more here!
Have you seen the Great Bed of Ware?
Cheers,
The Historian
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