Piracy was a perennial hazard for merchant shipping in medieval times. Whether you were sailing in the Channel, the North Sea, or simply sticking to English coastal waters, you were never safe. Pirates could strike… Read More »Medieval Piracy in Northern Europe
As England stood on the eve of the second phase of the Wars of the Roses, a bitter trade dispute threatened to further undermine stability. Friction between the Hanseatic League and the English had been… Read More »The Hansards and the Wars of the Roses
The British Isles were highly dependent on sea trade throughout the Middle Ages. Plantagenet incomes were heavily subsidised by tariffs levied on wool exports to Europe. At its peak, medieval England was exporting over 40,000… Read More »Life at Sea in the Middle Ages