5.3 Houses

The Anglo-Saxon "pit" house is known all over England. It was basically a house build over a rectangular pit some 4 meters long. In the past they were thought to have been the most squalid of living spaces. Research at West Stow, for instance, suggests otherwise. They were much more complex than a mere hole in the ground covered with a roof. They had planked floors, and clay hearths; they were, then, quite substantial. The pit may have been used for storage, but more probably to keep the house off the damp ground.

In areas where wood was scarce, e.g. many of the Northern Isles, some buildings had stone or turf walls.

Most houses had only one floor and often only one room. Some of the larger buildings had more than a single room, although not generally more than three. Some of these larger buildings may have had one end used as an animal shed in the Scandinavian style.

Windows were very rare and light would generally come from candles or lamps, which burnt animal fat, and a central fire built on a raised clay hearth. Hearths were generally oblong or rectangular and often had a frame of wood or stone. The windows may have had vellum stretched over them, as this allows light in but keep draughts out or, rarely, may have been glazed. Windows may also have been shuttered. The fire was the 'central heating' and 'cooker', although a few houses may also have had a clay bread oven.

Doors had iron or wood hinges and were closed with a latch. Some doors would also have a lock. The floors would have been of packed earth or wood. The wooden floors may have been just simple floorboards or may have been made of tessellated wooden tiles. There is also some evidence that halls may have had raised wooden floors, with steps leading up to the entrance. There are a few Anglo-Saxon clay floor tiles known from 11th century ecclesiastical centres, but these do not appear to have been used in houses and halls. The floor was often strewn with straw and/or sweet smelling herbs.

Furniture was generally very sparse. There would be a chest, or chests, for important belongings, often iron bound and lockable. There would also be some shelves, a loom (weaving was an almost full time job for many Anglo-Saxon women) and perhaps a table and some stools.

5.4 Woodwork

Timber was the most important resource for the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. The early medieval carpenter was not only skilled in working the wood, but also in selecting the correct timber and shape for the job. If the finished item needed to have a curve in it, the carpenter would select a piece of timber that had the correct natural curve. You can use natural junctions where a branch joins to the tree as joints that have grown to suit a job that you had in mind. These natural joints are stronger than man-made ones and save the carpenter a lot of time creating joints. Wherever possible they would 'follow the grain' to leave the finished product as strong as possible. The waterlogged and anaerobic (lacking in oxygen) environment at some sites has yielded many finds in surprisingly good condition.

Cups, bowls, spoons, and plates came in many sizes and were used in the home for storage as well as eating. Buckets, barrels and tubs were made from planks of wood bound with metal or withy hoops. Butter churns, cheese presses, trays, gaming boards and pieces, boxes and chests have been found too. Looms, beds, tables, chairs, stools and benches were made of wood as well.

Almost everyone employed the carpenter's skill in some way, from fishermen and weavers to shoe-makers. Shopkeepers and traders used wooden sticks with deep notches cut in them to keep their accounts. These were known as 'tally sticks', and recorded how much of an item had been purchased. It was split nearly in two down its length and as a you counted off the sold or purchased items, you broke off a tooth of wood. When the deal was finalised, half of the tally stick went to the purchaser, and you kept the other half as a permanent record.

Much of the Anglo-Saxon and Viking woodwork was ornately carved and invariably painted or decorated in some way. Some of the items surviving may well have taken much longer to decorate than they did to construct.