A grassy summer field with tall green blades in sharp focus in the foreground. Beyond the field, a rounded earthen mound topped with a single large tree rises against a pale blue sky with wispy clouds. Power lines cross the top of the frame, and clusters of trees flank the mound on either side

Black Death in Bedfordshire Show Notes And Links

Posted on by Natalie Doig

Listen to the episode on BBC Sounds, Apple or Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.n to this episode of Weird in the Wade

A meadow of tall grasses and seed heads, with a white bindweed flower blooming in the foreground. Behind the meadow, a grassy mound topped with a large tree sits against a blue sky with scattered clouds, flanked by trees and crossed by power lines.
Cainhoe Castle Mound

Pesta

There’s a fascinating article about Pesta in Norwegian myth here: https://medium.com/@riddickdm/pesta-the-spirit-of-the-plague-2d454656f0aa

Cainhoe

Find out more about Clophill Lakes Nature Reserve: https://www.greensandtrust.org/clophill-lakes-nature-reserve

Want to go on one of Bryan Bland’s guided history walks of Cainhoe Castle? Find out more here: https://www.facebook.com/61556638208511/posts/few-spaces-available-for-the-next-cainhoe-castle-clophill-story-walk-sat-15-aug-/122305469726221273/

Above is a video of the model made by PJ Zimmerlink of Cainhoe Castle mound today and what it may have looked like in it’s heyday. You can request to see the model when you visit or preferably before your visit so the staff can get it ready for you. It’s really tactile and helps bring the site to life perfectly.

There’s more information about the castle here:

https://clophillhistory.mooncarrot.org.uk/cainhoecastle.php

https://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/CommunityHistories/Cainhoe/CainhoeCastle.aspx

The Black Death

Disease information

Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plague_(disease)

Oregon man who caught the plague from his cat https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/13/oregon-resident-caught-bubonic-plague-pet-cat

The news story I first read about the man and cat said that his pet survived and now I can’t find the article! But in other articles it says his cat died. This article doesn’t say.

History and spread

Wikipedia summary of the Black Death: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death

BBC Bitesize information always easy to understand: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zjrhn9q#zhqgcmn

The National Archives have some fascinating documents about the plague which can be read here: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-collection/explore-by-time-period/early-modern/plague/

Real life experiences of the 1349 Black Death

John Clynn the Irish Monk: https://www.tota.world/article/207

General information about real life expereiences of the black death in 1349 is linked to on this forum thread: https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/63392/are-there-any-accounts-of-everyday-life-during-the-black-death

The Black Death in Bedfordshire

Virtual Library overview https://virtual-library.culturalservices.net/bedfordshire/vlib/0.digitised_resources/bedfordshire_digitisation_black_death.htm

Kinwick

A ploughed brown field with faint rows of young crop shoots stretching toward the horizon under a clear blue sky. A grassy margin and a wooded treeline mark the field's edge, with a tree-covered hill visible in the distance
A field where Kinwick may once have stood

General information about Kinwick:

https://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/CommunityHistories/Sandy/TheLostSettlementOfKinwick.aspx

Information about the murder of Gilbert the Shepherd

https://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/CommunityHistories/Sandy/MurderInMedievalSandy.aspx#Gilbert

A historical black-and-white Ordnance Survey-style map showing the area around Sandy Warren and Biggleswade Common. Labeled features include Sandy Warren, Galley Hill Camp, The Lodge, Cottage Farm, Warren Farm, Millhouse Fen, Carthageno, and Portobello Farm, along with a railway line (L. & N. W. R.) running diagonally through the map. Field boundaries, wooded areas (shown with dot-shading), and watercourses (marked in green) are visible throughout.
Old map outlining where Kinwick field was between the common and Millhouse fen up to Warren Farm

Old Linslade

Archive information about Old Linslade https://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/CommunityHistories/Linslade/OldLinslade.aspx

Looking for the Holy Well

Archaeology information about Old Linslade and the search for the holy well. https://www.lbdahs.org.uk/archaeology

Genetic advances in understanding the black death

https://www.science.org/content/article/gene-helped-people-survive-black-death-come-haunt

https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20240220-bubonic-plague-did-the-black-death-rewire-our-immune-system

Finally some more video of Cainhoe Castle surroundings. Check out my YouTube channel for more videos over the next few days https://www.youtube.com/@WeirdintheWade

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Published by Natalie Doig

"Science and sorcery." It's a quote from a beekeeper I saw on the TV, about how he sees the work he does keeping bees, a balance between science and sorcery. For me it also sums up my experience of life, my interests and my outlook. I love photography which is a perfect blend of science and sorcery, using light and technology to create magical images. But when I'm not taking photos you'll find me making the podcast Weird in the Wade. I'm also often to be found writing, reading, knitting, riding my mountain bike or drinking coffee watching the world go by. By day I fight for disability rights, equality and inclusion for all.

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