UK Countryside history - 1300 AD
After three centuries of sustained growth in farming, population, trade,
and taxation, crisis was imminent. Increasing demand for food pushed farming
to the margin, uplands and woodlands were brought under the plough. The
open field system that had provided sustainable production came under huge
pressure as peasants struggled with less land and farmsteads became ever
smaller. The structure of the countryside was changing again.
- Population
About 7 million throughout the UK. Although the majority of the population
remained directly involved in agriculture or in supporting activities like
coppicing and fishing, there were now over 800 towns and these accounted
for some 20% of the population.
- Crops
Corn prices were high in response to demand from a growing population and
given the low labour rates, landowners did well. Surprisingly and despite
the lack of self sufficiency, a good deal of corn was exported. While land
was mostly run on a two or three field arable system, in some places arable
cropping would continue for as many as ten years without a fallow break.
Such systems stretched fertility to the limit and were unsustainable although
the practice of growing peas, beans and vetches for animal feed and to act
as a fertiliser for the following cereal crop did help. Oats were widespread
throughout the uplands and rye was popular in drier areas. Wheat remained
the premium bread crop while barley was grown for malt and beer. Flax and
hemp were beginning to be grown again.
- Livestock
By 1300 AD wool exports had risen to a peak of around 12 million fleeces
per annum and the sheep flock had soared to nearly 20 million animals (cf.
20 million breeding ewes today). While wool was the UK's most important
industry and was sought after across much of Europe, the sheep played an
important additional role in the maintenance of fertility on lowland farms.
Horses became much more common and replaced oxen. Horses were quicker at
ploughing and at transporting goods via cart over longer distances - a factor
that allowed the exploitation of new land far from existing markets. Elsewhere
pigs were farmed in woodland clearings known as dens while cattle would
be found in the river valleys.
- Farming Systems
The use of the horse was spreading and while this helped to increase the
speed of cultivation there was no real increase in yield. Overall output
could only be increased by farming more land - a factor that led to huge
areas of marsh, heath, fen and woodland being cleared to make way for agriculture.
Agriculture was being pushed to the margin where the effort of production
was often greater than the output. As with all organic systems the medieval
farmers struggled to maintain fertility. The high cost of foodstuffs prohibited
enough livestock being kept through the winter to maintain fertility and
this led to lower harvest yields and higher prices which again aggravated
the decline in fertility. By 1300 AD the area under cultivation extended
to many areas of high moorland and upland that were shortly to be abandoned
and remain uncultivated today.
- Woodland & Hedges
Woodland cover by 1350 AD had fallen in England to around 7%, less than
today. However, hedges were becoming more common than in the Saxon period
as they demarcated the boundaries of an increasingly structured countryside.
- Social Economy
By 1300 AD the economy was strongly trade and cash based with over £1 million
pounds of coins in circulation and accountants calculating profits. Taxation
was also a key part of this market economy which satisfied the King's need
for revenue rather more easily than through his owning land direct. The
rise of taxation also led to the rise of "parliament" where representatives
of the regions would come to London when summonsed to hear of the King's
initiatives. Gradually they were afforded more power. In the towns there
was a much greater specialisation in crafts and guilds arose which persist
today. New professions developed and doctors, lawyers, administrators and
clergymen all found a living in the new urban environment. In respect of
trade, connections between London and Bordeaux existed with wine being imported
in exchange for cloth, leather and corn. A lot of trade was in the hands
of Italians who had a more sophisticated financial system and were able
to purchase wool from British sellers on futures contracts.
- Climate
Warmer than today with period from 800 AD through to 1300 AD (the mediaeval
warm period) being significantly warmer than today. However around 1290
the climate became colder and less stable and six centuries of much colder
weather followed.
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