HistoryExtra podcast The problem with poo: a millennium of manure
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Nov 19, 2025 Dr. Richard Jones, an Associate Professor of Landscape History at the University of Leicester, explores the fascinating world of manure in medieval and Victorian times. He discusses how critical manure was for agriculture, the distinction between animal and human waste, and the economic implications of dung ownership. Jones reveals surprising attitudes towards excrement, from elite disdain to peasant pragmatism, and reflects on the evolution of sewage management and its modern implications. Listeners will find out why vacuum sewers never gained traction in Britain!
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Lords Harvested Villagers' Manure
- Lords captured village animals on their demesne fields to secure the fertilising manure for themselves.
- Peasants still collected manure from their own animals and guarded that resource closely.
Dunghills Marked The Landscape
- Rural waste was middened into prominent dunghills that served as visible estate boundary markers.
- Each homestead likely curated its own midden and sometimes created oversized middens at estate edges.
Disgust Versus Practical Value
- People shared modern disgust for excrement, but peasants valued manure as essential and a sign of affluence.
- Dr Richard Jones notes size of a dunghill could indicate wealth and marriage prospects.
