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Mediæval menu
1066 to 1540 |
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Bridge
Medićval bridges were constructed from the local stone (granite or
slate) in one or more pointed or rounded arches spanning a river,
with two low parapet walls either side of the carriageway, topped
off with coping stones. The bridges are often quite narrow and the
parapets may be offset to provide refuges to allow pedestrians to
avoid wheeled traffic. The bridge piers were often set onto
triangular ‘cutwaters’ which deflected the flow of the water. |
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Castle
A castle is a structure that is fortified for defence against an
enemy and generally serves as a military headquarters dominating the
surrounding countryside. The mediæval castles of Cornwall are of
motte and bailey type, and were introduced by the Normans. They
consist of a large mound (or motte) topped by circular stone tower
or keep, usually a replacement for an earlier wooden structure. The
Motte is attached to a walled area (the bailey) where barracks
blocks, workshops, stables and other domestic buildings could be
securely sited. |
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Chapel
The term ’chapel’ has many meanings, but is here taken to refer to a
building or a room used specifically as a place of Christian worship
during the mediæval period. A chapel may be a separate building, or
part of a church or private residence. Chapels can have specific
functions, as oratories for instance or as a places devoted to
special services. In the post-mediæval period the term came to
indicate a place of worship for members of various dissenting
Protestant churches, as Baptists or Methodists. |
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Church
A church is a place set aside for the public worship of the
Christian god. Cornish Churches were often constructed on sites that
had been in continuous use since the original establishment of
Christianity in the 5th or 6th centuries. Most churches were
extensively repaired or rebuilt in the 15th century, and again
during the Victorian period, though many retain traces of earlier
architecture. |
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Holy well
The numerous holy wells in Cornwall may be a reflection of a
prehistoric, pagan, reverence towards water spirits and other
natural forces. Many natural springs were provided with a well house
or covering during the mediæval and later periods. The holy well is
generally associated with a saint or hermit, and the water is
believed to have healing properties They are still respected,
protected and maintained by local people. |
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Manor
A landed estate or territorial unit, originally associated with a
feudal lordship, consisting of the lord's demesne and the lands
within which he has the right to exercise certain privileges, exact
certain fees, etc. The term was loosely applied to any large estate
during the later mediæval period. |
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Plain-an-Gwarry
A mediæval amphitheatre, usually circular in plan, used for the
performance of miracle plays – religious dramas which lasted over a
period of two or three days, and described biblical events or
dramatised the live of the saints. |
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Pound
Usually associated with areas of common grazing, a pound is a place
where stray animals ( ie animals owned by persons who did not enjoy
rights to the common) could be penned in until reclaimed. Pounds
were often circular in shape and constructed of strong stock-proof
stone walls. |
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Mediæval period
(Middle Ages) |
The Norman Conquest led to the complete replacement of the existing
ruling elite. Wealth and power resides in the holding of land and by
the time of the Domesday Book (1086) 80% of manors are in Norman
hands.
A number of intimidating castles are built including Launceston and
Kilkhampton.
The 11th to 14th centuries is a period of prosperity and population
growth. Many hamlets, villages and towns develop, and the
countryside is reorganised, with extensive areas of arable land
divided into open strip fields. Economic growth is based on a
diverse economy of farming, trade, fishing, quarrying, the cloth
industry and, especially, the tin industry.
The Church is central to the way of life as the profusion of
chapels, parish churches and holywells attest. During the
Reformation however many religious houses are suppressed, provoking
a major rebellion.
Because of its geographical situation Cornwall becomes strategically
and militarily more important to the defence of the state,
especially against other maritime powers.
By the mid-C16th Cornwall still has a distinctive identity with
Cornish still spoken widely in the west. |
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