Historic town

A settlement of pre-AD 1700 date that occupied a central position in the communications network, functioned as a market centre and had an organised layout of streets with a significant density of houses and associated land plots. In addition, examples of one of the following monument classes should be present: town defences; castle/tower house; house (which functioned as a manor house); parish church/cathedral; religious house(s); administrative institution (e.g. town hall, market-house); judicial institution (e.g. courthouse, prison); monuments indicating specialised technological production (e.g. mill, kiln, tannery, ironworking site); bridge; hospital; school; quays. Where only documentary evidence survives to suggest a town was present then the term 'Historic town possible' applies.