Lantwych

Ah, Lantwych. The place where many a Verse begins... and ends.

  Alternatively spelled Lantwich or Lantwick in various official documents, the town of Lantwych is an important market town in Wych Riding, straddling the river Wych and butting up against the southern bank of the river Lant at the confluence of the two. Although the castle at Wych Ride is the de jure capital of the Riding, Lantwych is undisputedly the economic and cultural heart of the Riding due to its important location.   Despite the natural pressure to expand to the north bank of the river Lant in order to create more dock space for river barges, the town is prevented from doing so not only by the swampy ground of riverside Slatten Weld, but also by the fact that the north bank is across the Riding's border into Slater Riding. One of the provisions of the Riding Act forbids any settlement from being in two different Ridings at once.    

Markets

  Due to its position at the confluence of two navigable rivers, Lantwych has developed into a prosperous market town with a rich variety of wares to be bought and sold.    

Shepherd Yard

  With wool coming by river barge from the moors to the east, and with linen and dyes coming by barge from the south, Lantwych is home to a significant trade in textiles.   Buyers from across the Kingdom come to the cloth markets to persue the stalls at Shepherd Yard, each boasting cloth of a finer weave than the one next to it, each boasting colours of a richer hue than the one opposite.   In the summer, prized rams and ewes are sold here at auction as prime breeding stock, often accompanied by samples of wool allegedly from the animal which is to be sold.    

Poachers' Market

  Lantwych is home to a surprisingly, and suspiciously, large butchers' market. An awful lot of boar and venison is sold from here, leading to accusations of rampant poaching from Slater Wood on the other side of the river Lant. It is from these accusations the "Poachers' Market" gets its name. Everyone "knows" what's happening, but there's always just enough plausible deniability to let the issue slide. After all, this red meat could have come from a forest that isn't a Crown Reserve, and therefore isn't subject to the Poaching Act...    

Industry

  The volume of trade and commerce in the town has naturally led to various artisans settling down and cottage industries springing up. One of the most significant of these industries is that of pottery, in particular the making of crocks for storing fruit jam. This has lead to the stereotypical name for a person from Lantwych being "James Crocker".