HASS8 Black Death: Impacts of the plague on Medieval Europe: Home

The Black Death reached England in 1348. Bristol was an important European port and city in England during the Medieval era. It is widely believed that Bristol was the place where the Black Death first reached England. The plague reached England during the summer months between June and August.

The Back Death reached London by 1st November 1348. London was a crowded, bustling city with a population of around 70,000. The sanitation in London was poor and living conditions were filthy. The River Thames brought more ships and infection to London which spread to the rest of England. The crowded, dirty living conditions of the English cities led to the rapid spread of the disease. Church records that the actual deaths in London were approximately 20,000. Between 1348 and 1350, killed about 30 - 40% of the population of England which at the time was estimated to be about five to six million. Many people were thrown into open communal pits. The oldest, youngest and poorest died first. Whole villages and towns in England simply ceased to exist after the Black Death.

Impact of the Black Death

This programme examines its impact on: religion, feudalism, farming, urban life, the arts, and minorities in Europe; the economic and political consequences of the disease in Asia; and the socio-economic impacts in North Africa and the Middle East.

SOURCE: Clickview (2014), Rated: E, Duration: 10:30 mins, URL: https://clickv.ie/w/Uogo

A selection of books on this topic are available on the "Closed Reserve" trolley in the Library.