Town Walls:
Medieval towns were surrounded by a Town Wall. The town wall protected the townspeople but it was also a status symbol. It showed where the countryside ended and the town began. It showed that the townspeople were independent and it celebrated their wealth.

Most towns had plain walls of stone. They often had battlemented walkways. Towers were located at certain points along the wall. Town walls had gates and gatehouses. These gave the townspeople control over those entering and leaving the town. Spies or criminals might be arrested. Diseased persons could be kept out. Money (tolls) was collected at the gatehouses. (Tolls had to be paid on all goods brought into the town for sale. The money collected was spent on the town walls, bridges and paving the streets.)

Houses and Shops:
The gable or short end of the house usually faced the street because each family owned a narrow rectangular plot of land stretching back from the street. Behind the house there may have been other buildings, sheds, a well or a garden growing herbs, vegetables or fruit. In Ireland, most houses were timber-framed and had walls made of post and wattle with plaster on the outside. Roofs were thatched.

The ground floor, facing the street was often a shop. The goods sold in the shop were usually made in the house. Most shops were small, like stalls or booths. Lean-to stalls were sometimes set up on market day.

The People:
Towspeople were merchants, craftworkers or labourers.