What did medieval inns look like?

Many inns were simply large houses that had extra rooms for renting. In 14th century England, the courtyards of the inns were often not paved or cobbled but rather flattened earth or mud. These inns would be made of two-storey timber framed buildings with steep shingle roofs.



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The cost of one night for one person could be as low as a half penny, but if one traveled with servants and horses who needed feeding and stables, the cost could rise appreciably. The merchant class was coming into its own in the 14th century, and these merchants lived in town houses of great variety.

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The original meaning of inn was lodging and food for travelers, although today some inns don't have a restaurant or bar attached. If you own or manage an inn, you're an innkeeper. Inn comes from the Old English inne, inside or within.

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Did medieval inns close at night, or were they open all night? They'd close when the owner was ready to go to bed which probably wasn't much after dusk. Most people didn't travel at night so extra customers would be rare. And the staff would have to be up before dawn to light fires and prepare breakfast.

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inn, building that affords public lodging, and sometimes meals and entertainment, to travelers. The inn has been largely superseded by hotels and motels, though the term is often still used to suggest traditional hospitality. Inns developed in the ancient world wherever there was traveling for trading purposes.

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Etymology. From Middle English in, inn, from Old English inn (“a dwelling, house, chamber, lodging”); akin to Icelandic inni (“a dwelling place, home, abode”), Faroese inni (“home”).

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