The Homes & Other Buildings
This was made of wood, they either had an earth floor or a pit underneath floor boards which were resting on beams, the roof was thatched normally of straw, the sides of the building were either boards or wattle (interwoven pliable twigs) forming a wall covered over with daub (moist clay mixed with dung). In the community there would several buildings serving different functions, i.e. weaving, storage, living, sleeping, carpentry, smithy, mead hall for meetings and feasting where the thane lord of the manor would live with his family. The living building the important feature of this building would be the hearth were the fire is used for cooking, keeping warm and dry it was an open fire for boiling and griddling and hot stones for baking, so the hearth needed skill in its use so getting the best from it, around the fire would be benches so people could sit around the fire especially in the evening to drink ale and converse with each other.
Sleeping Building
As it says used for sleeping with beds of straw or heather for instance with coverings of furs or a bed as we know it with latticed ropes between the frame, then a linen mattress fill with straw or similar laid on top, again furs or even woollen blankets to keep people warm.
Mead Hall
This was meeting place for the village used for drink and celebration and usually where the Thane lived with his family, their quarters would be behind stage where the Thane ate and conducted the business of running the village, in front would be tables and benches for his warriors and other staff who would sleep there as well as bringing out furs and mattresses from beside the wall, the warriors in particular must always be ready to defend their Lord.
Lighting
Tallow candles and pottery lamps filled with oil.
Churches
Buildings of Secular and Religious Lordship: Anglo-Saxon Tower-nave Churches
By Michael George Shapland
Buildings of Secular and Religious Lordship: Anglo-Saxon Tower-nave Churches
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Then click onto churches on the different kingdoms, showing churches built from stone and bricks, some are complete, most have fragments of the Anglo-Saxon work within the present church.