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Having almost disappeared once the Romans left, towns were now growing fast. Sadly, very little thought went into the planning so that houses were squashed together in narrow, smelly streets. People would just throw rubbish into the drains which had no covers. Most homes were made of wood but some wealthy merchants did use stone for walls. While peasant houses were still just one room, a wealthy merchant might have a two-storey house and even a garden at the back. The garden would be where they grew their own vegetables and there might be a small pasture for the sheep. The pasture could also have fruit trees growing in it. Less than 10 apples trees would provide enough cider for the whole family for a year. As animals would still be kept in the house, the second floor of the house might only be over half the ground floor. Sometimes the kitchen could be in the backyard to avoid the risk of fire. The merchants would have furniture with wooden beds and linen sheets. There were no bathrooms and people went to the public bathhouse just like in Roman times. If there was a toilet, it would normally be outside the house. Servants would have one large room in the attic in which they would sleep. There was no running water in the houses.
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