Cosmeston Medieval Village facts for kids
.jpg) |
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Location | Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales |
|---|---|
| Type | Living history museum |
| Owner | Vale of Glamorgan Council |
Cosmeston Medieval Village is a special place in Wales. It's like stepping back in time to the 14th century! This "living history" village shows what life was like for ordinary people in the Middle Ages.
The village is near Lavernock in the Vale of Glamorgan. It was built after archaeologists found old remains during a dig in the 1980s. These finds were in the grounds of Cosmeston Lakes Country Park. Today, people called reenactors often visit. They camp in tents and show how people lived. They even perform exciting displays of historical combat for visitors.
Contents
Discovering Cosmeston's Past
How the Village Began
The first Cosmeston village started around the 12th century. A fortified manor house was built by the De Costentin family. They were some of the first Norman invaders in Wales. This happened after William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066.
The manor house was probably not a huge building. By 1437, it was already in ruins. The village had small stone houses called crofts. They had thatched roofs, just like the ones you see today. About 50 to 100 people lived there, including children.
The De Costentin family came from France. They were the first lords of this area. They named the village Costentinstune. Over time, this name changed to Cosmeston. They built the first manor house and a few small farms. But not much else was built for the next 200 years.
Life in the Later Middle Ages
Around 1316, the de Caversham family took over the manor. They were also of Norman descent. The buildings found by archaeologists are mostly from the 14th century. It seems the de Caversham family planned the village better. It became a more organised and compact settlement.
The village didn't grow much after the Late Middle Ages. There was no Norman church built nearby. By 1824, only four small crofts and a farmhouse remained. This was shown on old maps from the Marquis of Bute.
It's possible that many villagers died during the Black Death plague. This terrible plague happened in the 1340s and later. It might have left Cosmeston as a Deserted medieval village.
Challenges for Villagers
Life was hard for the villagers. Besides the plague, they faced other problems. The land is low and often flooded by water sources. There are signs of drainage ditches. But even these struggled to keep the fields from getting waterlogged.
The time was also full of political unrest. There were fights and conflicts between Welsh leaders. For example, in January 1316, Llywelyn Bren attacked Caerphilly Castle. For two months, there was fighting and damage across the Glamorgan region.
Cosmeston Today: A Living Museum
How the Village Was Found
By the 20th century, there was no sign of the old village. Local people didn't even know it had existed. In 1970, the Snocem Concrete works and the Cosmeston limestone quarry closed. The land was then turned into a country park.
During the park's creation, the first clues of the medieval village were found. This led to an archaeological exploration. This is how the amazing village we see today was rediscovered!
Visiting and Filming
Cosmeston Medieval Village is open to everyone. School groups and archaeology groups can visit too. Special events and re-enactments happen throughout the year.
The village has also been used as a filming location! You might have seen it in TV shows. For example, a 2014 episode of the BBC series Doctor Who was filmed there. Other shows like Merlin and Galavant also used Cosmeston.
