The Medieval Project on Church Stretton

Bibliography and Sources

Catling, Chris(2013) ‘Peasant Houses in Midland England’.  In Current Archaeology Issue 279, June 2013. p12-19.

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http://www.abandonedcommunities.co.uk/page58.html

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http://www.wealddown.co.uk/Buildings/Hall-from-Boarhunt-Hampshire

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Illness and Death in 1214

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In 1214 the major, often fatal, diseases were tuberculosis (including scrofula), pneumonia, measles, dysentery, gonorrhoea (syphilis was unknown, being introduced from the Americas after the discovery of the New World in the 16thC), diphtheria, typhoid, leprosy, cholera, typhus (which was spread by body lice) and smallpox.  Childbirth for women and injuries sustained in the course of work for men were also often fatal.

 

As no-one understood the existence and nature of germs, so the importance of hygiene wasn’t recognised and thus bacterial, parasitic and viral diseases were common and, without modern medical intervention, often fatal. King John had a bath every three weeks but this was considered a luxury, not a hygiene precaution and certainly not something that most people could contemplate. Far worse than infrequent personal washing, however, was the lack of an effective sewerage system.

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Much medical knowledge from the ancient world had been lost and the Catholic Church didn’t allow post-mortem dissections. Illnesses became to be considered as punishments from God. Pilgrimages to holy places and the purchase of relics and holy water from them were promoted as cures.

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There were hospitals, often provided by monasteries, but they were more like hospices or homes for the aged and needy rather than places of medical care. Barbers, rather than medics, performed surgery and although the interventions were often appropriate and skilled, without either anaesthetic or hygiene, they were still highly dangerous.

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Women also had to face the hazard of childbirth. During her childbearing years, a woman’s chances of survival were half those of a man.

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Childhood was a dangerous time, before the immune system was fully developed. Nearly half of all children died in childhood.

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The average life expectancy for a male child was 31 years. This average covers a wide range though: if he reached 20, he could then hope to live for another 25 years until he was 45. It was a violent society and the manual labour in which most men were employed meant that serious injuries were common. Injuries that weren’t serious in themselves could be fatal because of subsequent wound infection.

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Cholera and typhoid outbreaks – both caused by poor hygiene – were frequent and often fatal. On the other hand, some of today’s killers either weren’t present, or were much less prevalent. Tobacco was yet to be introduced; cancer is mainly a disease of the elderly and therefore didn’t have such an impact on a population that already had such a short lifespan. Heart disease - a problem associated with an over-abundance of food – didn’t pose much of a threat when most people struggled to find enough to eat.

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Sources

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/241864.stm

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Ian Mortimer: The Time Traveller’s Guide To The Medieval England

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The Landscape

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In 1214 Church Stretton (or Stretton-en-le-Dale as it was known) comprised a small, predominantly agricultural, settlement.

 

Situated within a royal hunting forest called the Long Forest, which extended south from the outskirts of Shrewsbury to Stokesay, east to Clee Hill and west to the Stiperstones, the inhabitants of medieval Stretton were subject to Forest Law, which was imposed to protect the king’s deer and game. 

 

The area was not continuously wooded but was a blend of moorland, agricultural land and woodland amidst which were the small villages and hamlets of the rural peasantry. Remnants of former Long Forest woodland are thought to still exist on the slopes of Ragleth Hill.

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Stretton was surrounded by its three large open fields (Ashbrook, Snatchfield and the Overfield). These were divided up into strips which were cultivated by the local people for growing crops. The strips were rotated to maintain soil fertility.

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There were also hay meadows around the settlement and extensive common hill grazing pastures on the Long Mynd and the unwooded slopes of the Stretton Hills.

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Woodland was managed by coppicing to ensure a continuous supply of small fuelwood and raw materials.

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Around Brockhurst lay an expanse of wetland and marsh, some of which was incorporated into the fishponds for Brockhurst castle. There were watermills located on the brooks that run through the valley.

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Stretton possessed the basic necessities for life albeit  with no frills.

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Farming

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In the Medieval period, farming was an essential part of the life of individuals and families.   Food could not be imported from abroad and brought to Church Stretton, it was either grown locally or transported much smaller distances than today.  Local markets were a crucial opportunity to sell excess supplies that you had grown or produced and to buy what you needed.

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Farming was on a much smaller scale than modern day practice and was much more of a village affair.  It was based on a system of large, open fields that were used for the growing of crops.  The land was largely owned by the Lord of the Manor and the villagers (or villeins) worked for him so many days a week.  Villagers had to work together on many aspects of the farm.

 

Two-field system

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Although called a two-field system, there were in fact three open fields;  two would be in use for crop-production in any year and the third was left fallow.  This allowed the third field time to regenerate and increase its fertility ready to go back into production the following year. Crop-rotation was an important aspect of farming practices in this period as little was known about improving soil fertility but it was recognised that crops did not grow well on soil that was continually used to grow the same crop.

Around the 13th century, the practice of growing legumes on the third field was spreading across the country.  This meant a third more food could be produced.  This is called the three-field system.

 

Strip Farming

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This was an important aspect of farming in the Medieval period as it was more than just a means of food-production but had an impact on the social order of the community as well.

Each family would have one or more strips in each of the fields, which meant that everyone would share the best and poorer areas of land equally. Individuals could not decide what crop to grow though, this was done by the reeve. The crop grown on the strip would be considered their own but they would give a percentage as rent to the Lord of the manor and as a tithe to the church.

Each strip had to be long as teams of oxen were used for ploughing.  The oxen were communally owned and worked. The length of each strip was a ‘furlong’.

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Crops

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Two crops a year were sown.

 

In winter, crops like wheat and rye would be sown in one field.  The Marches grew a lot of Rye, hence names like Rylands (near Bridgnorth) and Ruyton (north of Shrewsbury).

Then in spring, crops like barley and oats would be sown in the second field.  Young children would be used to scare off birds from the fields.

 

Peas and beans would also be planted in the third field.

 

Gardens were an important addition to food production for the family.  Cabbages, onions and flax would be grown as well as herbs, medicinal plants and maybe also plants for dyeing fabric.

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Evidence of Farming Practices

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There is limited evidence today of Medieval farming practice.  One practice though has left its mark on the landscape and that is ploughing.

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The teams of oxen used to plough fields needed a large turning circle at the end of each strip.  Today, we can see evidence of this in our winding country roads and footpaths that weave across large fields.  They are following the line left by the plough team as it turned.

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Within the fields, banks and ditches were created along each strip and these are known today as ‘ridge and furrow’.  Modern farming practices have largely flattened these but in some areas of the country they can still be clearly seen.  Locally, it can be seen in Corvedale (top or left and near Helmeth Wood(bottom or right).