1.1-1.3 Medieval Britain

• What was housing like in the countryside during the Medieval period?

  • lord of manour lived in large manour house

  • peasants houses varied in size, usually small wodden hut covered in mud

  • animals were valuable so were kept in houses

  • open fires - smoke escaped through thatched roof

  • windows were small with wooden shutters
• What was housing in the towns like during the Medieval period?

  • built close together in town centres

  • only rich had gardens

  • workshops of tradesmen and craftsmen were part of house

  • suppose to clean gutters and drains near house - not many did
• What was water in the countryside like during the Medieval period?

  • fresh water from springs or conduits

  • springs sometimes shared with animals - water not always clean
• What was water like in the towns during the Medieval period?

  • conduits (pipes) that bought spring water to some towns

  • water sellers sold water - in leather sacks
• What was waste like in the countryside during the Medieval period?


  • midden (waste heap) in garden

  • cesspits near village houses

  • waste used for fertiliser
• What was waste like in towns during the Medieval period?


  • public latrines were often found in markets

  • rakers removed waste from towns

  • cesspits used and cleared by gongfermors - taken to outside town walls for field use or tipped into streams
• What was poor Medieval diet like?

  • bread made from rye - could have fungal disease leading to illness and death

  • pottage - a thick vegetable soup

  • ale and cider - healthier than water
• What was rich Medieval diet like?

  • wide variety of meat - no meat on friday only fish

  • also had access to eggs, cheese, nuts and fruits

  • used honey as sweetener
• When was the first plauge outbreak?


  1348
• When was Medieval Britian?


  1250-1500
• What was the name of the first plauge outbreak?

  Black Death
• What are the 3 types of plauge?

  • bubonic

  • septicaemic

  • pneumonic
• What are the symptoms of bubonic plauge?

  • buboes (swelling in armpits and groin)

  • fever

  • blisters

  • death - few days
• What are the symptoms of speticaemic plauge?

  • bleeding

  • diarrhoea

  • vommiting

  • fingers, toes and nose turn black
• What are the symptoms of pneumonic plauge?

  • coughing up blood

  • chest pain

  • breathing difficulties

  • death - 2 days
• What were Medieval ideas of the causes of plauge?

  • god was punishing people for their sins

  • unusual planet movements

  • miasma - belief that bad smells cause disease

  • humour imbalance - vulnerable to plauge
• What were Medieval treatments?

  • toads and chickens used to draw out disease

  • blood letting (removing blood) to balance humours
• How did Medieval people try to protect themselves against the plauge?

  • burned rosemary to purify air (treat miasma)

  • confessed sins and beg for forgiveness

  • shut themselves in houses

  • rich ran away to countryside to find pure air

  • forced loggers into street if they showed any signs

  • flagellants - whipped themsleves for forgiveness
• How did Medieval church help people?

  • needed clean water for religious ceremonies

  • did day-to-day washing of linen and people

  • rich and powerful - paid for pipes over long distances

  • some monasteries had hospitals attached
• How did town authorities improve filthy roads and market places?

  • solution

  -> paved market places using tax

  • effects

  -> better trade

  -> idea spread to other towns
• How did town authorities improve dung heaps?

  • solution

  -> moved to edge of towns

  • effects

  -> less chance of bacteria spreading
• How did town authorities improve dumping waste?

  • solution

  -> name and shame waste dumpers

  • effects

  -> purer water supply
• How did town authorities improve poor quality meat?

  • solution

  -> guilds (associations) of food producers set standards

  -> finded producers who didn't follow

  • effects

  -> safer meat and other foods
• What happend in 1385?

  wardens appointed to check whether London streets were clean