What did the typical great hall look like flooring and lighting?

Answer 1

The Great Hall in a castle was the largest room. It would have had large curtains that covered very huge open areas that were the windows. The Great Hall would probably have had a large, long table with seating for about 40 guests in the center and things on the wall like family crests.

Answer 2

Believe it or not, the importance of the great hall was because it was often the only room that was heated.

Chimneys and fireplaces did not exist in ancient times, and were only invented in the 12th century. Their use did not spread fast, because constructing a chimney require special skills, and chimneys were expensive and required regular maintenance. So most buildings, even castles and manor houses, did not have chimneys and fireplaces.

What they usually did instead was to have a hearth or brazier in the middle of the floor. The smoke rose to a hole in the roof or high in the walls. This meant that the room had to be very tall, with no floors above it, and normally it was also very large. This was the great hall. It had dining and living areas, offices, and other spaces partitioned off from one another. It was very drafty, because of the vents for the smoke, but it was the only warm room.

The result was that the great hall was by far the most important room in a manor or castle, as far as entertainment, dining, and other social interaction went. But it was also the living quarters for the lord and his family, very likely along with a number of other people.

There is a link below to a photograph of an old great hall, showing wood stacked on the hearth, where a fire would be.