There was usually a forest (6) near the village where peasants fed their pigs, gathered berries and nuts and collected firewood. This area was called the pannage.
If there was a river (7) close to the village, it provided water for drinking, cleaning and washing clothes.
The house of the reeve (8) was located in the village. The reeve supervised the serfs’ work on the farm for the lord.
The peasant’s farmland (9) was very close to the village and was divided into three open fields.
The tithe barn (10) was where one-tenth of the harvest was collected for the church.
Life of a peasant There were two types of peasant: a serf and a freeman.
A serf was owned by the lord. He had to work on the lord’s land two to three days each week while also trying to grow enough food for himself and his family on the other days of the week, using whatever amount of land the lord allowed him to have. As he was owned by the lord, he did not receive any payment for helping the lord. If he wished to go anywhere or even marry, he had to ask the lord for permission.
✣ By the way
If a serf managed to escape and was not caught for a year and a day he became a freeman.