The Garth at The Crofters Cottage


Carol Wilson, a regular volunteer at the museum, has been in today to tend the authentic fifteenth century garden behind the Crofter's Cottage. There are a great variety of plants, vegetables flowers and herbs grown in the garden, most of them were grown for food, medicine or dying clothes. Before the fifteenth century the types of plants grown were either native, or introduced by the Normans and the Romans before them.

Green comfrey was mixed with pig fat to stick on wounds - remember there was no elastoplasts. Sweet Woodruff was a 'strewing herb', one cast it on the floor of the house to disguise the smells. Sweet Cicely was useful for aiding digestion and chewing to alleviate hunger. Mary's Tears reminded people of the tears of the virgin Mary at the Crucifixion, remember this was a period before Henry VIII when most people would be practicing Catholics.


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