CountryLife1

England’s Countryside Lifestyle From farmers to the rich, the country side provided an abundance of activities and occupations for people of the Elizabethan period. The rich upper class which dominated society made up only a small portion of the population. The majority of the rest of the population were farmers. During these times the people did not own the land on which they farmed on, instead a lord did and he hired workers to farm it for him. As compensation the farmer was allowed a small portion of land to plant for his own use. Typical countryside villages where the farmers would live were small and would consist of only one street which had houses on both sides and included a few shops and a church. The lord who already owned the land also owned the houses, shops and church. Farmers during the time normally planted and harvested cereal crops such as wheat, rye, barley, and corn (Which was not the corn known to Americans called maize, due to the cooler climates of England they grew a different species of corn that could withstand the colder climates.).The workers used oxen to pull the plough across the fields. Normally there were three large fields that equaled about eighteen acres, pathways called ”balks” allowed workers to navigate around the fields without treading upon the crops. Farmers of Elizabethan England highly embraced the technique known as crop rotation were parts of the field that had already been used would be set aside for a year or two and fertilized with sheep manure in order to make the previously non fertile field become nutritious again. Towns scheduled festivals to celebrate harvesting seasons; mostly it meant food and prosperity but if their crops died it meant hunger and famine. As //elizabethan-era.org.uk// states, “Poor harvests, such as those which occurred in the 1590's, had a bad effect on the economy and a devastating effect on the people which led to starvation in some areas.” Also if a year’s harvest had been unsuccessful the lord of the manor may decide to raise live stock instead of grains. Villages were especially privileged if the King or Queen gave them permission to hold a market day.

The countryside was also host to most of England’s pastimes and recreational activities. Often people from rural areas of England (Usually the wealthier) would depart for the countryside seeking entertainment. Even the hard working locals found time to play games such as nine men’s morris, soccer in which a pig’s bladder was inflated and used as a ball, cock fighting, and archery. Hunting, was probably the most popular event which took place in the countryside, England had a large variety of game animals available to hunters. While hunting was a form of feeding one’s family it was also a pleasant form of entertainment. It still is a popular sport in today’s world. The rich preferred to hunt larger game such as deer and boar, whereas the poor or less wealthy went after smaller game like hare and small birds. Dogs and birds of prey were used to help hunt the game. The townsfolk became exuberant when they heard news that Queen Elizabeth would be visiting them. The lords and other local nobility spent large sums of money preparing for her arrival. The water show of 1591 which was presented for the queen was one of the most spectacular examples. As you can see, the countryside played a large role in the people of Elizabethan England pastime and activities.