Lived Experience at Bodiam, Scotney and Ightham in the Later Middle Ages

Bodiam, Scotney and Ightham are gentry houses in south-east England.   All three were initially constructed during the 14th century. They provide a focussed research area with a range of documentary and archaeological evidence from the later middle ages.

Although lived experience has been discussed frequently in prehistory it has rarely been applied to medieval sites.  The concept suggests new ways to examine these buildings from a novel, subjective perspective.  Visual experience is an important focus of the study, but other senses can also be explored.  My paper will explore how other senses influenced encountering, working and living in these buildings.  My aim is to produce synchronic graphic and written descriptions of the buildings just after their initial construction. It will do this through a series of digital media projects designed to explore:

1. The atmosphere of the buildings
2. Furnishing, food and material cultures
3. The effect of the senses on encounters
4. The effects of space on social interactions

People

• Catriona Cooper