Vayanham and the North west

Vayanham and the North west 

 

 Approaching the North Gate

It is interesting to note that none of the roofs of the towns buildings are to be seen over the level of the wall this is due not to the height of the walls but rather to the law rise nature of the building within the town where very few buildings exceed two stories in height and even the keep (left hand side of picture) is only visible because it is built on a slight rise its walls are no higher than the towns.

The walls are expert for areas round the gates, and all the gates resemble the one depicted above, quite low with the majority of the height being due to a turf covered bank. This is topped with a relatively low wall made of packed rubble and faced inside and out by half tree trunks whose outward facing sides have been trimmed flat by adzes. The walls are toped by a walk way and lack defensive towers of any sort. The structures above the gateways as depicted are the only parts of the structure which rise above the general level of the wall.

 

Town map

 Key 

N,E,S,W -gates resembling the north gate pictured 

I        Temple of the fruitful coin, the larger building and the Lion Inn smaller building

II       Great Hospital and temple of Everlasting Hope

III      Poor house 

IV      Drovers Lodge - Inn & Beast Market Tavern

V       Merry Maid - Inn

VI     West gate Inn 

VII    Travelers rest Inn and temple of the stars

Names buildings and areas

The keep - is more a fortified  manor house than it is a keep in the accepted sense being a sturdy curtain wall of mortared stone  packed with rubble on a low bank standing about two stories high over all. The towers and the gate house are relatively squat bring little more than a story taller than that. The house itself id only two stories high and whilst substantial and defensible in itself is no central keep. The rest of the out and auxiliary buildings which line the walls on the inside are half timbered and thatched like the majority of the buildings to be found in the region.

The Beast Market - deals only in animals and to a lesser extent in tack and animal related gear and the towns one wagon maker has his workshop not far from here and trades in this market .

The Great market - deals in every other sort of good that can be found in the town and the majority of craftsmen in the town thought they might have their workshops elsewhere in the town maintain a stall here. There is a food market once a week and always a variety of street food sellers. The market is policed by the Agents of the Coin lord who charge all who enter one trade coin.

Old Bank - marks the line of the old town wall before the New town was incorporated about seventy years ago and the walls extended. The gap in it is still referred to as the little south gate which is what it used to be.

New town - formally an informal settlement outside the walls it is still considered to be little better than a slum even after its being included in the bounds of the walls. it is an area rife with cheap flop houses and drinking dens and is generally avoided by the richer class of citizen,

General features of the town 

Roads - all of the roads shown on the map  are of solid construction with the great roads themselves being paved with small stone sets and drainage gutters and the lesser roads being similar but made of crushed stone packed down and concreted together by the mud the locals tramp in from outside the town. The great roads are upwards of thirty feet wide and the towns ordinances prohibit the placing of any temporary structure on them  and this is well in forced. Even in the markets the road remains clear of traders stalls. The lesser roads are ten feet wide and again free of obstruction.

In between the road net as shown there are numerous ally ways and lanes these are all narrow and often dark as the adjoining buildings over hang them and in some cases cover them altogether the lane being little more than a passage through a line of buildings at ground floor with a first floor above it.

At night the roads are lit with lamps but these are only filled with oil once in the day and once lit are allowed to burn out. In the New town particularly  it is common practice to rob the lamps of oil and this happens sooner than elsewhere.

Buildings - are all half timbered with the exception of the keep and the Temple of the fruitful coin roofs are either thatched or covered with wooden shingles. The buildings are close packed and the dwelling s tend to be quite small. very few buildings have any sort of yard and fewer still have gardens, 

Water - there are a number of public wells within the town where any one may draw water for the price of a trade coin these wells are maintained by the  cult of the coin lord. The poor house has its own well the use of which is free and some of the larger residences like the keep have private wells.