10 Features of Old Medieval Houses That Make Us Thankful for Modernity

Houses, as we know them today, were not always like this. Today, we have paintings and little plants as decoration, but, a few centuries ago, the important thing was to have a roof under which to live. In fact, the residences were very different from what they are now. Life was not the same either, therefore, the dwellings reflected the old way of living in community.

O awesome.club shares 10 curiosities of medieval houses that maybe you didn’t imagine, when we compare them to current residences.

Today, we know that architects talk about cement and buildings, but before, houses were very different from how we know them now. One of the most common structures in this historical period were the “cruck” houses, that is, huge curved wooden jambs that formed a ridge. They served to support the roof of a house and were usually made of mud and some bushes. They were very common in the Middle Ages, in regions such as Wales and England.

Furniture was scarce in the houses of the Middle Ages. Mainly because the poorer classes have only the most basic, for example, chairs and tables. As a bed, they had piles of straw. On the other hand, the most comfortable houses could have beds made of feathers, but they also had little furniture. However, a curious fact about the medieval beds of the richest families is that the supports used to be wide, as if they were several chairs in a row, as they often used to sleep all in the same bed.

It was easy to identify whether a rich or poor family lived in a house, according to its windows. The homes of the less affluent had a hole instead of windows. However, drafts and scarce light were not a problem, as they had ways of lighting the interior and, if it got cold, they usually had wooden shutters that closed at night. Rich families, on the other hand, had translucent windows, which they made with fabric soaked in resin and tallow, with crisscrossed rods.

The wealthiest families could afford to have chimneys, but the poor didn’t have such, so the most important space in the house was the kitchen. The fire used for cooking was the same one that allowed the space to heat up a little and also light it up. They used to be very dark houses, despite having reeds cured in lard, which were lit and served as torches or candles. However, due to the structure and materials with which they were built, there was a huge risk of causing fires.

In the medieval era, animals did not fulfill the role of mascots, but domestic animals that were used for human use, for example, for their meat, fur or wool. However, the animals that lived with men were at risk of being devoured by other predators, therefore, at night, they were usually introduced into houses. Over time, they began to have outdoor spaces, such as corrals or fences, which were initially made of piled stones and later turned into sheds or patios for their care.

A bathroom from the Middle Ages today would be quite uncomfortable, as it was often a bucket or a chair that was emptied into the nearest river. Such cubes were usually for the poorest, while other toilets had latrines affixed to the castle walls. These more “sophisticated” spaces for physiological needs were for the wealthy classes.

As everyone knows, hygiene was not a quality that was much seen or appreciated by the inhabitants of that period, as they practically did not have the habit of taking baths, compared to today. In fact, they could go a long time without washing. Instead, they resorted to perfumes or flowers to hide or confuse bad smells. Although the richest were better able to bathe, they didn’t do it very often either.

Another difference between the homes of the richest and the poorest was their size. While the houses of the privileged had very large spaces and even several rooms, the houses of the destitute, on the contrary, had very small and cramped spaces. Usually, only one room was simultaneously kitchen, living room, dining room and bedroom. In the case of a blacksmith or craftsman, even his workshop was also in the same room.

In the past, there was no cement, so the materials used to build a wall were very different from what we use today. Most were made of clay, straw, animal hair and even dung! With these materials they made partitions. There were no castles of rebar or metal bars, as in our modern homes. Instead, the columns were almost always made of oak.

Medieval houses were very dark, with poor lighting and drafts. The only source of heat was the fire they lit for cooking. However, as the houses were so close to each other, the flames used to get stuck in the fireplace and generate a lot of smoke, not to mention the risk of catching fire at any moment.

What other aspects of medieval life do you find fascinating and would no doubt like to experience? Tell us in the comments!