During the course of the Demystifying the Abbey project, a number of previously unrecorded sites of archaeological interest have been identified on land once held by Abbey Cwmhir. It is not possible to date them with any precision and hence attribute them to the Cistercian period. However, their form suggests a medieval origin and it …
Medieval sheep farming 3: Cwmhir Archaeological sites Read More »
The significance of manure from sheep, cattle and humans for soil fertility was well known in the medieval period. Manure could be bought, sold, borrowed and stolen and, of course, produced in situ. Sheep were commonly grazed on open upland pasture, sheepwalks, during the day and folded on arable stubble or ploughed land during the …
Cistercian monasteries were renowned for their sheep farming and Abbey Cwmhir, with its extensive upland land holdings, would have been no exception. Unfortunately, there are no extant records of the Abbey’s sheep farming activities so evidence must come indirectly from a general understanding of the historical context and an interpretation of the archaeological features in …
Medieval sheep farming 1: The historical context Read More »