Medieval Landscapes, 400-1500

Module code: HS7128

The foundations of modern landscape and society were largely laid down as a result of significant reconfigurations in the Middle Ages.

In this module, you'll focus on this period of intense and dynamic change during which both the physical and mental maps of England were redrawn. You'll learn how the landscape can be seen as a product of, and as a contributory factor in shaping, medieval society. Wide-ranging and interdisciplinary coverage includes settlement history, place-names, cartography, the literary landscape tradition, climate and weather, field systems, trees and woodland, elite display, ecclesiastical signatures, peasant perspectives, and medieval concepts of nature.

On completion of this module, you will be able to demonstrate an appreciation of the role landscape has to play in historical enquiry and will be equipped with skills which will enable you to ‘read’ these landscapes in the field.