Due to which disease did one third of the population in England, Wales, and Scotland perish in 1348?

Okay, let's talk about the devastating plague that swept through Britain in the mid-14th century. In 1348, a horrific disease arrived, and it wasn't measles, leprosy, or smallpox. It was the Black Death, a particularly virulent strain of bubonic plague. What made this so devastating was its speed and the lack of understanding about how it spread. Imagine a world with limited medical knowledge, where people didn't understand about bacteria or how diseases are transmitted. The Black Death, carried by fleas on rodents, spread rapidly through crowded towns and villages. The symptoms were terrifying: painful swellings, fever, and ultimately, a very high mortality rate. It's estimated that around one-third of the population of England, Wales, and Scotland – and indeed much of Europe – perished in a relatively short period. While the other diseases listed were certainly present in medieval Britain, none had the catastrophic impact of the Black Death in 1348. It was a truly defining moment in British history, drastically altering society and the economy.