Medieval Town Plans

Author: Paul Hindle
Format: Paperback, 15cm x 21cm, 64 pages
Illustrations: B&W
Category: Medieval History

Medieval Town Plans by P. Hindle is a richly detailed, 64-page illustrated guide that explores how medieval English and Welsh towns were founded, structured, and developed. Presented in a softback format (15cm x 21cm) with black-and-white illustrations, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in medieval history, archaeology, cartography, and urban development.

Understanding how and why medieval towns were laid out can reveal important clues for researchers, historians, and metal detectorists seeking evidence of everyday life and the casual losses of past inhabitants. Hindle combines archaeological, documentary, and map-based evidence to explain the origins and growth of medieval towns, highlighting both surviving and lost features within the townscape.

This practical guide provides the background needed to understand when, where, and how a medieval town evolved, making it ideal for students, enthusiasts, and field researchers.

Key Topics Covered

• Sources

• Site selection

• Plan layouts

• Street patterns

• Town defences

• Markets

• Churches

• Suburbs

• Property boundaries

• Ludlow: A case study

• Further reading

From the Back Cover

Most English and Welsh towns were founded or expanded rapidly between the mid-12th and early 14th centuries. This book offers a concise overview of this significant growth period, examining the archaeological, documentary, and cartographic evidence used to understand medieval urban planning.
It explains how these sources relate to visible and hidden features in today’s townscapes, covering topics such as town sites, overall layouts, streets, defences (including castles, walls, and gates), markets, trades, churches, chapels, monasteries, suburbs, property boundaries, and houses.
Above all, Medieval Town Plans is a practical and accessible guide to studying the pattern and development of medieval towns.