Hertford is known as the Garden Town and its residents take pride in the beauty of their streets and surrounding land. Most every house, shop, stable or other building is adorned with hanging and potted plants. In Spring a riot of colors if found throughout the streets of Hertford as the many pots burst into bloom.
Situated along the King's Road and in the shadow of the court of Earl Hertford, the town has more influence and a greater urban feel than one would expect of its population size. A town of perhaps 2000 souls, more than half the folk either labor directly for the Earl or are family members of those who do. The rest of the townsfolk are either part of the powerful stonewright's guild or are minor craftsmen serving the community in much needed roles as bakers, coopers, wheelwrights and the like.
The town is huddled along the southern banks of the Gentile River, just north of Castle Hertford. Although the town is on the level of the river, a great dyke and stone wall surround the lands outside the town for protection. Within the town is Castle Hertford built upon a high motte overlooking the town, river and surrounding farmlands.
Hertfordshire has enjoyed a privileged locale in the protected heart of the kingdom of Logres. As a result, it has seen peace and relative prosperity since the time Vortigern ascended to the throne. Lying low during Vortigern's rule and not troubling his Saxon allies, the Earl Hertford threw his lot behind Aurelius Ambrosius when the future king landed ashore Britain to reclaim his birthright. When Ambrosius Pendragon was killed, Earl Aralyd immediately backed Uther as Pendragon and made his entire country available to the new king. This led to considerable trust from the new king and has extended the reign of peace in these troubled times.
Countess Nia is greatly enamored of ornamental horticulture and spends vast amounts of time in her lush gardens. She has commandeered the banks of the Gentile River outside Castle Hertford's postern gate for her flower beds and willows. The garden takes great advantage of the river's beauty with paved walks and close cropped grassy meadows. Many of the ladies of the court while away their summer hours playing music or doing needlework in the shade of trees. When courts are held at Castle Hertford the gardens are usually quite crowded with ladies and knights from across Hertfordshire marveling at the crafted beauty.
Alas but the garden is too near the postern gate and the Earl has made clear to Countess Nia that the garden must be removed further from the wall gate as the Saxon threat is increasing and the castle defenses must be kept.
Protector of the gate house to the city.
The stone quarries of the Chiltern Hills are a great source of cut stone for the central Logres counties. The Earl and King Uther have a monopoly on the lands supplying the best cut granite. However the masons, stonecutters, carvers and porters who work the granite have formed a guild to ensure proper treatment of their workers. The guild is itself cooperative with their liege lords; but, it does provide a communal spirit of sharing and takes great pains to care for its sick and aging. Although the stonecutters and porters mostly work in the quarries amidst the hills, the more highly skilled craftsmen as well as the leaders of the guild call Hertford home. A goodly section of the populace work with the stonewright's guild and it is a source of much of Hertford's income.
Due to the abundance of skilled labor and low cost, worked stone, most of Hertford is made of finely built stone homes and shops. Fire is less of a hazard in Hertford than in most medieval cities across Europe.
The Church of Saint Andrews is the largest structure in town apart from Castle Hertford. Saint Andrews hold Hertford township's congregation. Peasants and those from outside the town walls must find worship at smaller churches and chapels in the surrounding villages. Castle Hertford has its own chapel for nobility.
The city section hard on the castle's bailey is the armory and barracks. Here the professional footmen and garrison of Hertford find their home. Six days a week the hearths and workshops of the armory are busy fixing armor, mending weapons, or creating ever more tools of war. The town's prison is also held in the dank basement of the armory. Of course, all prisoners of the Earl himself or any who are worth a ransom are kept within the dungeon of the castle.