South-west
Bristol
In the twelfth century
Bristol grew up in the late Saxon period where the Frome meets the Avon, and by the 12th century it is one of the busiest ports in England. Its trade faces west: ships run to Ireland, and the town's merchants are so bound up with Dublin that in 1171–2 Henry II grants the men of Bristol the right to live there. The great stone keep, built by Robert, Earl of Gloucester, makes Bristol the chief stronghold of the Empress Matilda's party during the Anarchy, and King Stephen is held prisoner in it after his capture at Lincoln in February 1141. St James's Priory (1129) and St Augustine's Abbey (1140) stand outside the old town. Henry II grants the town charters, and in about 1188 John, as lord of Bristol, grants a charter of liberties.
Landmark: The great stone keep of Bristol Castle, built by Robert, Earl of Gloucester (finished; now entirely gone).
Known for
- Irish Sea shipping (Dublin and Ireland trade)
- Hides and fish from Ireland
- Wine imports
- Pottery (Ham Green and Redcliffe wares)
Caveats (confidence: high)
The exact date of Robert of Gloucester's keep is not firmly known (built between his acquisition of Bristol in the 1120s and his death in 1147). Henry II's charters are dated variously (1155 and 1171–2 are both cited); the John charter is conventionally dated 1188. Ham Green and Redcliffe pottery are mainly late 12th- and 13th-century; the slave trade of the 11th century is not included because it had largely ended by 1100. Nothing survives of the castle keep today.
Sources: buildinghistory.org · dublincity.ie · bristolandavonarchaeology.org.uk · en.wikipedia.org
Playtest: in development, may be reset
In the playtest world now
What the test world shows at Bristol, as of Year 12, winter, month 10, day 26. About the playtest
Last season's market
Autumn, year 12. Each good's price at the close of last season, against its usual price in this town: dear, usual or cheap.
- Usual
- Pick, Ox cart, Pit saw, Adze, Axe, Awl, Iron hammer, Chisel