ABSTRACT

Very little survives of vernacular buildings under the feudal system of the early Middle Ages when the common man was subject to his master’s will and direction. He was not capable of acting independently and was therefore not able to create buildings other than for simple shelter using whatever was available and best suited the local climatic conditions. None have survived in recognisable form so we must rely on archaeological investigation and, possibly, speculation as to their exact form. Almost certainly they would have been simple structures with the minimum of comfort. It is also important to appreciate that there would have been a difference between rural life and what might be termed existence within settlements centred on castles and the defended houses of the nobility.