In the medieval era, Europe was much warmer. If you look at the Canterbury Tales, most the leisure was outdoors, and in medieval illustrations, women wear light gowns and men in short sleeves. In the 11th century, England had vineyards and its own wine industry.
There was a mini-ice age between the 16 to 19th centuries - all those nobles in heavy gowns and furs.
"There was a mini-ice age between the 16 to 19th centuries - all those nobles in heavy gowns and furs."
From the late 1600s til 1730 or so, sunspots decreased drastically in number (known as the Maunder Minimum). Earth's climate cooled... the Thames River froze over. That cooling is directly linked to the sun.
Interesting that the Mini Ice age from 1645 to 1715 when the Thames at London and the Lagoon at Venice regularly froze also corresponds to the Maunder Minimum, an extended period of very low, almost nonexistent Sunspot activity. Funny how the linkage between the minimum and the Mini Ice Age is recognized but no linkage is attempted to current Sun spots cycles an "global warming" But I guess if the dogma of "Man Man Global Warming" as preached by the Church of Environmental Extremism was every prove to be the fraud it is, that nice fat pipe line all the "Climatologists" have to the Fed Treasury would dry up.
In the 11th Century, wheat was cultivated in the Orkney Islands. Where are the Orkney Islands and what do their inhabitants do for a living? Find a map, locate Britain. Now find Scotland and go to the northern shore of Scotland. Continue North and you will find the Orkney Islands. No wheat growing there today and all of the people are fishermen with the odd sheep herder thrown in to support the tweed industry.
You can't grow wheat today in the Orkney Islands, but you could in the 11th Century. Go figure.