History Social & Economic

Day: Tuesday

Frequency: Even numbered weeks

Start time: 10:00 am

Venue : Weston Golf Club, Uphill Road, North

Description:

After an earlier course in which the group looked at the development of the British economy and its social consequences from the seventeenth century the time frame has now been moved back.

Since September 2011 the group has been examining the development of the economy from the Anglo-Saxon period and its impact on the lives of ordinary people as the Normans then imposed their feudal regime.

This takes in the fluctuations in population growth, the gradual progress in agricultural practice and the development of industrial and commercial expertise particularly centred around wool, the growth of towns and markets and all leading to a growth in trade and wealth in the medieval period and on into the Tudor period.

Some of these topics like the development of the wool and cloth industries will be looked at in greater depth and of particular interest both socially and economically is an examination of the role of the church in the medieval period.

Whenever possible every effort will be made to relate these events to the local scene drawing on relevant examples.