General Chat

I don't know about Photoshop, (technological ineptitude) and I am trying to get some idea of a medieval landscape on an 18c map so I have had to resort to using some of Fred's crayons.

The good ones, the Rowneys, are out in the shed I think. These are the ones I bought him when I was not sure if he would take to colouring (it may not have been manly!) and the bloody leads keep coming out.

In medieval times the Enclosures / land theft were still a distant prospect. Thus instead of pretty little hedged fields there were large open spaces setup for strip farming. Another feature were the very long walls of stone or earth around magnate's estates. Housing for most people was very rough and ready. Roads were terrible.After 1341 many villages were abandoned.

Not a pretty sight which is one reason why formal landscapes of the era are rare.

Southern England was still heavily wooded as the Sussex iron working had only just got started.

I have a box of Staedtler coloring pencils my GF bought a hundred years ago. They still work fine. I doubt Photoshop can manage 100 days without some new annoyance.

Yes, I know that, doesn't everybody, apart from the bit about your crayons?

Bet you didn't know that, Sharron!! :-D :-D

Aren't things soooo much easier to understand when 'mansplained' to us little wimin?

All those years studying Medieval 'things' - and FINALLY, thanks to Rolo's incredible patronising - you realise what the words meant :-D :-D

...now those boats- Cogs weren't they?
You DO realise they floated on water, don't you?

Did? 'Spect a man who knew had to drive.

If only somebody had explained it to me before. Suppose I should be grateful.

I never found anybody with better crayons before.

You know the Crayola crayons?
As a young teenager, I used to use those as make up :-D :-D :-D

I see, in 2015, there was a warning about using them as eye-liner - but no warning in the late 1960's!!

Somebody has not consulted or,maybe, just disagrees with Oliver Rackham who takes issue with an essay based on the Gough map. He argues that most documentary evidence concerning highways is based upon complaint and this is not a good basis upon which to base an hypothesis but what do I know?

I can tell you that boot polish made very passable mascara!

Well, if he's only used those roads complained about, on his map - surely lots, that weren't complained about, are missing?

Or is that too simplistic?

Also what size 'roads' does he consider roads?

As Bernhard Klein says:
'It should be noted that some eyes are as blind as others are observant, and contemporaries also recognised that the abstraction of geometric scale may quietly conceal rather than openly disclose geographical information.'

I can tell you the grandkid's left over cheap pencils often work better than the dearer ones I have bought to colour with :-D :-D :-D :-D

I think the point he is trying to convey is that the roads were not as generally perceived.

I like to look at the pretty flowers that grow beside the road myself because I am just a girly!

Hence my query about what he considers 'roads'.
Many old roads in, say, Mevagissey are now considered alleyways.

Actually, it's the same in Winchester - 'Passages' that were roads in Medieval times, with shops either side - but not big enough for a horse and cart - would he have considered these roads?

I can't really answer for him.

I think the point he is making is a bit wider than yours and this probably isn't the place to air my knowledge or profound lack of it!

Interesting point though. We will have to meet up for a pint again and thresh it out.

We will :-D :-D :-D