Summary: Over the last month or so we’ve been speaking in detail about food in the Dark ages. Diversified farms dotted the landscape, with even the larger ones probably having a mix of cattle, sheep, pigs etc. In many ways, it’s sounded like an idyllic rural life. Actually, the Venerable Bede in particular loved the pastoral nature of England (and I’m sure he would have loved Wales, too). And all of this food production was a key part of British life and as a result understanding it is necessary to understanding the culture. But while much of the island was well situated for farming, and food production was a major pillar of society, it doesn’t mean that everyone lived on or worked on farms. This was a stratified society and overtime that would continue. So now that we’ve covered, in detail, the production of food and drink, we’re going to transition into the cultural aspects of how that food impacted society. And to start with, let’s talk about the issues of supply and demand by focusing on the towns.
