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, near Lavernock in the Vale of Glamorgan. It's like a time machine that takes you back to the 14th century! This village is a living history museum, which means people dress up and act like they lived in medieval times.
The village was built based on old remains found during an archaeological dig in the 1980s. These remains were in the grounds of Cosmeston Lakes Country Park. It shows what peasant life was like in Wales in the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, groups of reenactors visit. They camp in tents and show how people fought in medieval times.
Contents
History of Cosmeston Village
How the Village Began
The first Cosmeston village started around a fortified manor house. This house was built in the 12th century by the De Costentin family. They were among the first Norman invaders to arrive in Wales. This happened after William the Conqueror took over England in 1066.
The manor house was probably not a very big building. Records show that by 1437, it was already completely ruined. The village likely had small stone houses called crofts. These houses had thatched roofs, just like the ones you see there today. The village probably had about 50 to 100 people living in it, including children.
The De Costentin Family
The De Costentin family came from a place called the Cotentin peninsula in northern France. They were the first lords of this area. They named the village Costentinstune, which later became Cosmeston. They built the first manor house and maybe a few small farms. For the next 200 years, not much else was built there.
Changes in the Later Medieval Period
Around 1316, the de Caversham family took over the manor. They were also of Norman background. The buildings that archaeologists have found seem to be from the 14th century. It looks like the de Caversham family planned the village better. They helped it grow into a more organized and compact community.
The village didn't seem to grow much after the Late Middle Ages. It's unusual because no Norman church was ever built nearby. By 1824, only four small crofts and the Little Cosmeston Farmhouse remained. These were shown on old maps made by the Marquis of Bute.
Why the Village Disappeared
It's possible that most of the villagers died during the Black Death plague. This terrible sickness happened in the 1340s and in later outbreaks. This might have turned Cosmeston into a Deserted medieval village.
Besides the plague, villagers faced other problems. The land is low and often flooded by water sources that now feed Cosmeston Lake. There is proof of drainage ditches, but even these struggled to keep the land dry. Also, this time was full of political unrest and fighting. For example, in January 1316, Llywelyn Bren attacked Caerphilly Castle. For two months, there was conflict and damage across the Glamorgan region.
Rediscovering the Village
By the 20th century, all signs of the village had disappeared. 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 with money from the Countryside Commission.
During the work to create the new park, the first signs of the medieval village were found. This led to an archaeological exploration.
Cosmeston Today
Today, Cosmeston Medieval Village is open to everyone. It also welcomes school trips and archaeology groups. Special events and re-enactments happen throughout the year.
Cosmeston has also been used as a filming location for many TV shows. These include an episode of the BBC TV drama Doctor Who in 2014. Other shows filmed there include Merlin and Galavant.
