Peasant Housing
By Amberley Chesi
In Medieval Europe, the housing for peasants was of poor quality compared to housing built today. They were usually built on the property of a nobleman for whom they would work and be fairly small, consisting of only one room which contained little more than a bed made of straw and a fireplace. They would usually have a small pen out the front for animals which would be bought inside for the winter with some to be killed and used for food or clothing.
Peasant houses would be made with wooden frames and thatched roofing, which lasted for a very long time. The houses would have barred windows as glass was far too expensive and only used in churches, cathedrals, monasteries and sometimes the houses of the rich. The walls would be made of small stones, stuck together with mud or daub, a substance similar to plaster.