Stockyard

Stockyard is Morton's market for livestock. Animals sold here may be destined for the table, for draft use or be being sold between farms for breeding or ongoing raising. These functions are generally separated, but there is always a degree of overlap. Currently the market operated three days a week, with the Lowdy market focused on trade to the butchers, the Middy market dealing mainly in draft animals and the Hidy market dealing wit sales from one stockman to another. Late autumn sees additional markets laid on on Secondys throughout the month of Tannor for the butchery trade and late spring sees the Flitch markets on Fordys where newly weaned livestock are sold on from breeders to raisers.
Animals from out of town for the market are driven from their places of origin spending the night before the market just outside the town, where the drovers will take some care over their appearance (including some works of veterinary artistry to improve the animals appearance beyond its true condition. With animals from south of the town generally having been swum across the river these are less prone to such improvements and will often trade at a slight premium to those from elsewhere as a result of this¹.
Once in the market place they will be held in temporary pens from which they are either taken to the Ring - a circular fenced enclosure at the centre of the square, or sold from the pens. In the case of the latter, sales may be arranged between individuals before midday, after midday they are sold by auction. The Ring is used for animals for breeding or specialist purposes, but most stock are sold from the pens, with several auctioneers progressing from one set of pens to the next with a gaggle of prospective buyers in tow. The auctioneers take a commission of 1/16 the value of the sale, paid by the purchaser.

Purpose / Function

The sale of livestock for all purposes

Architecture

The architecture of the market is nothing of note. The centre is occupied by The Ring - a circular enclosure with chest high fencing which is some 30 stride across. Though this fencing is removable, it is normally left standing between the markets. The floor surface of the market is paved with stone slabs, similar to Hallack's New Market, but here there are holes the size of a fist every stride or so, that hurdles are fitted into to form the temporary pens, with the size adjusted to the number and type of animals involved. The setting up of these fences is carried out by teams of day labourers, many of whom will make a career of this working one day in the markets and then seeking other day work on the non-market days. The fencing costs 3 Dukes per panel.

History

Like Hallack's New Market Stockyard was created in the aftermarth of a fire as the town's demand for market space increased. The fire resulting in Stockyard was in 723MD and the area was purchased from the survivors by the Berman of the time with some rather dubious practices hinted at in both the records and the stories told by some of their descendants.
The market itself became operational in 725 after the area had been cleared and paved over and the current pattern of alternating market and non-market days was established soon after.

Type

Market square

¹ A wily drover from the Morton side of the Durran will often drive his herd out of the direct route in order to cross the Durran twice so that the beasts arrive at the stockyard dripping wet.