Living Conditions

• The housing was made up of wattle and daub
• Damp conditions which would to a fungus growing which leads to ergostism
• in 1315 there was a great famine
• streams and springs were the main sources of water in villages
• there were conduits and water carriers in towns
• most houses were tightly packed together with thatched rooves
• merchants were able to get larger houses
• people drank small bear instead of water
• there were cesspits in villages
• rakers would take rubbish away
• gongfermers would clean out latrines
• drovers took livestock to markets, rancid meat often sold
• mayors and aldermen often passed laws to get people to clean up
• public health in towns before the black death showed that there were attempts to improve conditions, (Bristol removed dung heaps and prostitutes to the outskirts in 1329
• winchester appointed 2 people to check the quality of meat before selling
• in 1287-1289 16 people were publicly shamed in Norwich for polluting the water
• in 1301, edward 1 ordered the authorities in york to clean up waste and keep streets clean
• it was mainly agricultural
• there was a lack of scientific knowledge
• very religious
• the monarchy and nobles owned the land
• 90% of people were peasants
• Black Death came
• Towns started to develop
• The church led the way in hygiene:

  • Religious communities ( cathedrals and monasteries) had clean water for ceremonies
  • Dug trenches and layed pipes
  • By the 15th century the power of the church began to decrease