A Trip to 1376: Camlann Medieval Village

In order to truly experience the Middle Ages one must hop aboard the Seabury school bus, travel for an hour and a half and go back in time to the Camlann Medieval Village, a living-history museum that portrays rural England in the year 1376. 

"Hail and well met!" Roger and Christina greet us at the gate to their village. They show us around and explain how self-sufficient and ingenius the people of the time period are. Verily, it is so!

The homes are made of wattle and daub and are much sturdier than our homes today even though they are made without a single nail. Plus they are cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

This is the "wattle" part of the building. The daub is made of straw and clay.

Muriel, the sheep

Sheep are a must have in the village. 

They provide wool, parchment, meat and milk.

 If we were children living in the village we wouldn't go to school--we'd already be learning the work of our fathers and mothers, in this case blacksmithing. 

"Welcome to the Bors Hede Inne. Tarry and feast!" 

The boar's head

The restaurant is beautifully painted with scenes from the Middle Ages and has arched ceilings to hold up the stone walls.

We see plain clothing from the early Middle Ages

and ornately decorated clothing owned by the nobility of the later Middle Ages. The people liked to show off the fine fabrics they owned. 

We learn that the armor from the Middle Ages is much different from the armor of the Renaissance. 

 

Getting our bread trenchers (plates)

Here comes the ploughman's dinner: bread, roast polish sausage, a big chunk of cheddar cheese (named after a local village,) vegetables, fruit and a spiced juice drink. 

Juice is poured into our drinking bowls.

Methinks I am hungry!

Prithee, pass the cheddar?

Dinner is ready!

Arranging her plate 

Eating her plate!

It's polite to use our fingers. 

Tis most splendid!

For our listening pleasure, Roger sings a minstrel song accompanied by the lute. 

Fair thee well! Time to get back on the bus and go thither back to 2014 and Seabury School (and electricity and forks and cars and the Internet and school work....)

Perchance we will meet again!