Learning Centreby learnwhatyouwant.co.uk
Sign inStart learning
Back to Discover

History & society · British history

Forgotten Voices: Medieval Britain Through Ordinary Lives

Step beyond kings and castles to explore the daily realities of medieval people—peasants, traders, women, and craftspeople—and discover how their experiences shaped the Britain we know today.

150 min5 modulesBeginner friendly
Start this free course

Free to take. This course does not use any Learning Credits.

What you’ll be able to do

By the end of this course, you will be able to describe key aspects of everyday life in medieval Britain, including work, home, faith, and community, and explain how ordinary people contributed to the period's social and cultural changes.

Course outline

A clear route from first principles to practical confidence

  1. 01

    Module 1: The Land and the People

    • Peasants, Lords, and the Manor System
    • A Year in the Fields: Farming and Food
    • Village Life: Homes, Tools, and Neighbours
  2. 02

    Module 2: Home, Health, and Hardship

    • Inside the Medieval Home: Cooking, Cleaning, and Family
    • Healers, Herbs, and the Black Death
    • Surviving Famine, Fire, and Winter
  3. 03

    Module 3: Work, Trade, and Travel

    • Crafts, Guilds, and the Market Town
    • Women’s Work: Brewing, Weaving, and Selling
    • Roads, Rivers, and Pilgrims: Getting Around
  4. 04

    Module 4: Faith, Festivals, and Folklore

    • The Parish Church: Worship and Community
    • Saints, Pilgrimages, and Holy Days
    • Magic, Myths, and the Medieval Worldview
  5. 05

    Module 5: Change and Legacy

    • After the Plague: New Opportunities and Old Struggles
    • The Peasants’ Revolt: Voices of Protest
    • From Ordinary Lives to Historical Memory