South-west
Exeter
In the twelfth century
Exeter stands on a ridge above the Exe inside its Roman walls, and has been the seat of the bishops of Devon and Cornwall since 1050. After a siege in 1068 William I builds Rougemont Castle in the north corner of the walls. In 1114 Bishop Warelwast begins a great Romanesque cathedral. Its choir is consecrated in 1133, and its twin towers are complete by about 1200. In 1136 King Stephen besieges Baldwin de Redvers in the castle for three months, until thirst forces the garrison to surrender. Exeter is the market of a large county, with a fair recorded by 1130. Ships unload wine at Topsham, down the estuary, and by the 1170s a share of the wine customs is owed to the lord of Topsham. A stone bridge over the Exe is begun around 1190.
Landmark: The Norman cathedral with its two great towers (being built; the towers were finished around 1200 and still stand).
Known for
- Wine imports through Topsham
- County market and fair
- Wool
- Fish
Caveats (confidence: medium)
The date the towers were finished ('about 1200') is approximate. Exeter's cloth trade and its fulling mills are mainly 13th century and later, so the wool entry is general. Devon tin was being worked in the later 12th century, but I could not confirm Exeter's own role in it, so it is left out. Accounts of the 1136 siege (length, the wells running dry) come from the Gesta Stephani.
Sources: exetermemories.co.uk · en.wikipedia.org · memp.ace.fordham.edu
Playtest: in development, may be reset
In the playtest world now
What the test world shows at Exeter, as of Year 12, winter, month 11, day 16. 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, Iron hammer, Awl, Chisel