Small Doors

[Ace001]

Why do old houses have small doors that you have to duck to enter? Is it because people were smaller then?

[jimtom]

Arrarently Ace001, men living during the 9th to 11th centuries had an average height of about 5 feet 8 inches. Average height then steadily declined until it reached a low point of 5 feet 5.5 inches in the 17th and 18th centuries, rising again through the 19th century and only reaching 5 feet 8 inches again in the first half of the 20th century.

Jimbo

[nfn]

Either that or you've just grown too big to visit people! Are you a giant? 8~D

[Peter Pedant]

Yeah, Jimbo is right - and it was due to diet. Decent food becoming available for children only after 1915.

I must say I am surprised at the  heights quoted earlier - this could be racial. the average age of death in 1066-1100 being 25, and clearly this is not consistent with a height of 5 ft 8 in shoiwng how healthy eeveryone was - when clearly they werent.

[jno]

partly height, but partly also insulation; the smaller the door (and consequently, the bigger the wall), the less wind got in/heat got out. PP, I think the average age of death wasn't necessarily to do with ill health - war (males) and childbirth (females) had a lot to do with it; so did high infant mortality, which would skew the overall average a lot but wouldn't be linked to diet.

[niknak]

Hiya Ace001,

Jimtom has got it on the nail-I live in a house built in 1580-1600 and the average door height is 5' 6''.I have some mind your head signs,grin!

[Tomaldo]

I was told at one Country House I visited that it was because it provided greater security for the inhabitants.  For example an attacker would have to duck to get through a door by which time the defender could have clobbered him over the head.  This was refering to a door in a garden, so I'm not sure whether it is any help to you?  However it is certain that people have grown in average height over the centuries.

[Lore]

It is down to height, The Shambles in York is a great place to visit to see examples of this also Port Sunlight on the Wirral.