which ▁cr iss - cross ed ▁the ▁entire ▁country . ▁The ▁road ▁system ▁was ▁ade qu ate ▁for ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁the ▁period , ▁although ▁it ▁was ▁significantly ▁che aper ▁to ▁transport ▁goods ▁by ▁water . ▁The ▁major ▁river ▁networks ▁formed ▁key ▁transport ▁routes , ▁while ▁many ▁English ▁towns ▁formed ▁navig able ▁in land ▁ports . ▁ ▁For ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁England ' s ▁climate ▁differ ed ▁from ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁twenty - first ▁century . ▁Between ▁the ▁nin th ▁and ▁th ir teenth ▁centuries ▁England ▁went ▁through ▁the ▁Med ieval ▁W arm ▁Period , ▁a ▁prolong ed ▁period ▁of ▁war mer ▁temper atures ; ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁th ir teenth ▁century , ▁for ▁example , ▁sum mers ▁were ▁around ▁ 1   ° C ▁war mer ▁than ▁today ▁and ▁the ▁climate ▁was ▁slightly ▁d rier . ▁These ▁war mer ▁temper atures ▁allowed ▁poor er ▁land ▁to ▁be ▁brought ▁into ▁cultiv ation ▁and ▁for ▁gra pe v ines ▁to ▁be ▁cultiv ated ▁relatively ▁far ▁north . ▁ ▁Econom y ▁and ▁dem ography ▁ ▁The ▁English ▁economy ▁was ▁fund ament ally ▁agricult ural , ▁depending ▁on ▁growing ▁cro ps ▁such ▁as ▁whe at , ▁bar ley ▁and ▁o ats ▁on ▁an ▁open ▁field ▁system , ▁and ▁husband ing ▁sheep , ▁cattle ▁and ▁p igs . ▁Agricult ural ▁land ▁became ▁typically ▁organ ised ▁around ▁man ors , ▁and ▁was ▁divided ▁between ▁some ▁fields ▁that ▁the ▁land owner ▁would ▁manage ▁directly , ▁called ▁dem es ne ▁land , ▁and ▁the ▁majority ▁of