Medieval Town Life

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Medieval Town Life
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Did you know?

• English villagers in the Medieval times
• Wore simple tunics dyed in bright colours using
  vegetable dyes
• Hadnt yet invented buttons
• Ate plenty of fruit and vegetables
• Had brains the same size as ours and were roughly
  the same height as we are
• Lived for about 40 years
• Used moss for toilet paper

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On your whiteboards

• Why do you think most people choose to live in a
  town instead of a village? In pairs write down 4
  reasons why people might choose to live in a town
  today.
• Compare your ideas with others in the class until
  you have a list of 8 reasons.

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What differences can you see?
Medieval Town
Medieval Village
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Learning Objective

• To discover what daily life was like in a
  Medieval Town.

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What do you think it might have been like to live
in a Medieval Town?
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A Typical Town Street
rubbish thrown into the street
Buildings are timber framed
Pigs eating rubbish in the street
Upper storey overhangs to maximise space
Buildings are closely packed - fire risk
Sewage in the middle of the street
Shops in front room
rats
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How did Medieval Towns develop?
After the Normans came, towns began to occur,
usually alongside castles. As they grew in size
and became prosperous they were able to buy a
charter, a document which gave them their freedom
from the lord of the manor on whose land the town
had grown up. By the 12th century, Lords of the
manor were often short of money and were glad to
sell the rights of the town to pay off their
debts The Town Charter allowed the townsfolk to
have a Mayor, whom they elected, and a law court
of their own.
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What were Medieval Towns Like?
Round each town were thick walls, for safety
against enemies. The town gates were locked every
night at sunset. Each town had a Town Crier who
called out messages and news at the Market
Cross. The streets were dirty, narrow and
cobbled. Down the middle of each street ran an
open drain. The front room of houses was often
used as a shop. Shopkeepers nearly always sold
things they made themselves. Water had to be
drawn from wells or fetched from the river. You
could also buy it from water-carriers, who took
it round the streets in buckets.
How is your town different from one in Medieval
times?
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Medieval Town Life
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Medieval London