If you take a look at most towns and large villages in Europe from the United Kingdom right down to Spain you’ll find town squares. What are they for one might ask oneself? Why do all towns have them?

A town square has a multitude of functions. Larger towns usually have a market once a week where stalls can sell fruit and vegetables and other useful commodities. A great many town folk will tell you a market makes the town. There is truth to this as a thriving market is a nucleolus of any town and brings people together and forms the basis of a community. A thriving market is also useful form revenue for a hard pressed town council.

Before the age of newspapers the only way to spread cutting edge news was by a ‘town crier’. In the United Kingdom he would be a colourfully dressed individual presumably employed by the town council to impart local news items. The ‘town crier’ would stand in the centre of the town and for several minutes ring a hand bell to attract the attention of passer byes to stop and listen to his news. “Hear-yee o Hear-yee,” he would cry whilst ringing the bell between each item of news.

The town square would also be the site for various pieces of municipal furniture like a large clock or fountain. In warmer countries there would always be found drinking fountains for thirsty travellers. Most town squares have seating and flower beds to encourage people to stop and sit and communicate with his fellow man.

In more primitive times errant villagers and town folk might find themselves in the stocks on the town square to provide spontaneous amusement for passer byes to throw rotten eggs and tomatoes at the criminal to add in his discomfort and humiliation.

If a stream ran through the town square this would be the perfect site for a ‘ducking stool’ a very useful device for correcting nagging wives. The procedure was if some poor chap had his life made understandably miserable by a nagging wife he could apply to the council for recompense. If the council agreed the husband had suffered unduly his wife would be sentenced a set number of ducks on the ducking stool.

The miscreant wife would be tied into a chair perched on the end of a ‘see-saw’ and dunked into the stream or river. This activity often attracted crowds to witness the event.

The town square in a nutshell is the heart of the town and brings together and fosters a thriving community.