#MEDIEVAL TAVERN KEEPER FULL#
#MEDIEVAL TAVERN KEEPER FREE#

Other pictured items, unless otherwise stated, are not included and are for display purposes only. Item: 373010410915 Mens Tavern-Keeper Costume Medieval Pub Barman Fancy Dress Outfit. One of the reasons travel beyond city walls was hazardous was because of bandits and other threats.Seller: party_emporium ✉️ (56,585) 97.2%, Towns/cities provided better protection for guests and their valuables.

Inns also needed close access to good, steady suppliers to make sure the demands of their upscale clientele were met.Ī big issue might also be security. They didn’t exactly have insurance back then.) The owner, and any investors, needed to be sure they could recover their expenses and make a profit too. (One source mentioned this as a reason why the common threat of fire was a source of dread for innkeepers. For one, they were expensive to construct and maintain, particularly as they catered to the wealthy. I can only speculate as to why inns didn’t seem to be built in isolation, but here’s my theory. In towns/cities that were on major trade routes, or had important pilgrimage sites, etc., there might be a large number of inns to accommodate travelers. Inns were built in places where there were enough people, resources, and regular traffic, to support the inn. None of my sources really delved into that question, but with a bit more poking around it SEEMS as though the towns were there first. Use the Medieval Monday Index to discover more topics relating to daily life in the Middle Ages. They would send a harbinger just ahead of them to make all of the arrangements. Nobles might have the advantage of finding hospitality with a fellow noble living nearby. If this was necessary, travelers stayed together in groups for safety. When there was no inn, hostel, or other building for shelter, people might sleep outdoors.

#MEDIEVAL TAVERN KEEPER FREE#

Monasteries might run hostels (hospitals) where travelers could stay free or for a minimal fee, particularly on routes that were heavily traveled by pilgrims. Ale houses sometimes provided basic shelter for the night for a very limited number of people. However, not everyone could afford to stay at an inn, even when they were available and had enough room.

Private rooms became more popular as the period progressed. Many were communal, with a number of guests sharing a room together, sometimes even the same beds. It is hard for us to imagine today, but not all of the sleeping rooms were private or even lockable. The layout of a typical inn included a main hall, possibly a secondary common space, a kitchen, storage space, quarters for the innkeeper and his family, and of course, sleeping rooms for guests. Inns were often centers of trade as well, and investors were eager to back them, expecting a handsome profit in return. Innkeepers were wealthy and played a prominent role in the community-sometimes also serving in the local government, or acting as banking agents. Inns were actually big business, and they made a considerable profit. Inns also provided temporary storage and stables where horses could be cared for. Whereas taverns offered basic, or even poor quality food, inns were prepared to host elaborate feasts as necessary for guests–including wine and other alcoholic drinks.

#MEDIEVAL TAVERN KEEPER FULL#

They were equipped to accommodate not just lone travelers, but people like merchants with carts full of valuable wares, and nobles with their families and attendants. Like commercially run taverns, medieval inns catered more to the wealthy than the average person. Last week’s post was about medieval taverns, so it seemed natural to make this week’s about medieval inns as their services overlap somewhat.

Medieval tavern keeper