The Medieval Fenland

About this book

Originally published in 1940, The Medieval Fenland, together with its companion volume The Draining of the Fens, constitutes an attempt to outline the changing conditions of a fascinating region. The text is ambitious in scope, reflecting the author's position as a historical geographer, and covers a broad range of disciplinary perspectives, ranging from geology to socio-economic analysis. Numerous illustrative figures are contained, including maps, diagrams and photographs of the area, and a bibliography is also provided. Detailed, yet highly readable, The Medieval Fenland will be of value to anyone with an interest in Fenland history and historical geography in general.

Contents

Editor's preface
Preface
List of maps and diagrams
List of plates

Part I. Introduction: The Pre-Domesday Fenland
1. Note on Roman literary evidence

Part II. Occupations
2. Marsh production
3. Agricultural activity
4. Meadow, pasture and turbary
5. Note on the Crowland siputes

Part III. Communications
6. Fen waterways
7. Fen causeways

Part IV. The Changing Prosperity of the Fenland
8. Domesday statistics
9. Fourteenth-century statistics
10. Two hundred and fifty years' change
11. The social consequences of Fen economy

Part V. The Care of Banks and Channels
12. Complaints and disputes
13. The commission of sewers
14. The fifteenth century

Sources and bibliography
Appendix: report of a commission of sewers held at Wisbech in 1438
Index

Customer Reviews