Agricultural History Review, Volume 67 Part 1 (2019), pp. 29–50

The pastoral dimension of peasant farming needs more investigation. The main focus of recent research has been on the number of peasant animals and the application of their manure in the thirteenth and early fourteenth century. This enquiry extends the discussion to include husbandry and management, concentrating on the housing of animals, before and after 1350. A combination of archaeological and documentary evidence is used to assess demesne buildings (as a standard for comparison) and accommodation for peasant livestock. The evidence comes from documents relating to the maintenance of buildings, archaeological excavation and survey, and architectural history. Byres, stables, sheepcotes, and other buildings are identified, some built to a high standard. Their numbers seem limited, though there may be some under-recording. Peasant animals were kept in yards, pens, and shelters, and in severe weather are likely to have been placed in barns, which were multi-functional buildings. Peasants could not afford as many specialist buildings as the demesne, but adapted to their circumstances, and followed their own methods for managing the livestock and their manure. 

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