The
streets sloped down from the middle so that the filth of the
streets would run down the sides of the road. There were many wood
chips in the streets due to cutting up of firewood before taking
it indoors. People often threw the rubbish from their houses onto
the street although they were supposed to cart it outside the city
walls and to clean the frontage of their houses once a week.
Dustmen scavenged through the rubbish on the streets. Pigs and
geese were not longer allowed to run at large in the streets, but
had to be fed at home. There were other city rules on building,
public order, the use of fountains, precautions against fire,
trading rights in various districts, closing time of taverns, and
when refuse could be thrown into the streets, e.g. nighttime.
Aldermen were constantly making rounds to test measures and
weights, wine cups, the height of tavern signs, and the mesh of
the fishing nets, which had to be at least two inches wide. They
saw that the taverns were shut when curfew was rung and arrested
anyone on the street after curfew who had a weapon, for no one
with a sword was allowed on the streets unless he was some great
lord or other substantial person of good reputation. Wards
provided citizens to guard the gates in their respective
neighborhood and keep its key.
The city was so dense that nuisance was a common action brought in
court, for instance, vegetable vendors near a church obstructing
passageway on the street or plumbers melting their solder with a
lower than usual shaft of the furnace so smoke was inhaled by
people nearby.
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