Description of the attraction
Cosmeston is an open-air museum, a historic re-enactment of a 14th-century Welsh village. It is located in the Glamorgan Valley, near the capital of Wales, Cardiff.
During the construction of the park in Kosmeston in 1978, the remains of a settlement were discovered, whose age was more than 600 years. Thus began a unique archaeological project to restore the medieval village of Kosmeston. The year 1350 was chosen for the historical reconstruction of the “living history” type. It was an interesting time! The country was ruled by King Edward III, it was the twentieth year of the war with France - historians will later dub this war the Hundred Years. Britain was slowly recovering from the Black Death, a plague that killed nearly half of its population.
The village originated around the 12th century next to an estate owned by the de Costentin family, one of the first Norman nobles in Wales, who came from northern France. They named the village Costentenstun, which was later transformed into Cosmeston. The estate was small, and the village consisted of several round stone houses covered with thatch. The population did not exceed 100 people, including children. In 1316 the village passed to the new owners, the de Caversham family. There is no evidence that the village continued to exist after the Middle Ages. There was no church here, and by 1824, a detailed map of the Marquis of Bute's domains marked only the small Cosmeston farm and a few pastures. Why was the village abandoned? There could be several reasons for this. Residents could die during a plague epidemic. They could have moved to another place, because these places are very low and prone to flooding. The village could also be damaged during military conflicts - for example, in 1316 Llewelyn Bren took by storm the Cairfilli Castle, which is located very nearby.
This open-air museum is now considered the finest reconstruction of medieval village life in Britain. It is visited by archaeologists, tourists and school trips. Cosmeston is inhabited by characters - the Headman, Sergeant, Potter, Carpenter, Baker, their Wives, Priest and even the Noble Lady. Each of them has its own story and its own role.
