Yalding village uses the
three field system. An autumn crop of rye or wheat is
sown in the first field. In the second field, a spring crop of barley,
oats or peas is sown.
The third field is left fallow for the animals to graze on and to
help it regain its
fertility. Every year, the field that grows the autumn and spring
crops and the one that is left fallow, is changed.
The people of Yalding
grow their crops in strips. Each family had a number of these strips
in each field. They are scattered about so that no one gets all the
good land or all the bad land. This is very important in Yalding as
the land closest
to the River Beult tends to flood after heavy rain.
The people of Yalding
grow five main crops: wheat, rye, barley, oats and peas
Wheat:
Wheat flour makes the finest, whitest bread but only grows on soil
which has been well-manured.
Rye:
Rye flour produces a very dark, heavy bread.
Barley:
Barley is fairly easy to grow and is used to make bread and ale.
Oats:
Oats are used for porridge and animal food.
Peas:
Peas are particularly suited to the soil in Yalding. Peas are grown
to feed both humans and animals.
People in Yalding also
grow meadow grass. When dried, meadow grass becomes hay, and is used
to feed the animals during the winter. Yalding also has several patches
of land that are not used for growing crops. These lands are called
the commons. The lord of the manor, Hugh de Audley allows the people
of Yalding to let their animals graze on the commons. They are also
free to pick wild fruits and collect wood from this land.
1. Look at Yalding
Crops in 1336. Fill in details in Family
Information Chart (section
3) of the crops that you grow.
2. (a) Study the crops
that John Giffard and Alice Taylor grow. What type of bread do you
think these families eat? (b) Now study the crops that you grow. What
type of bread does your family mainly eat?
3. Most people in the 14th
century preferred eating bread made from wheat flour. However,
many people made bread from barley or rye flour. Can you explain why?
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