>My rule of thumb is that in good land where the danger level is not
>excessive, villages will be about a league apart (since walking more
>then half an hour to the outer fields--longer driving oxen no doubt--
>makes it worthwhile building something closer). Someone living in
>old agricultural areas of europe could probably check those distances
>more accurately.
Living in an area which was agricultural until about a century ago, I would say that's about right. The old villages are still recognised locally and are about 3 miles apart. By the same token market towns seem to be about 10 miles apart which makes sense if you're driving a wagon to market. You want a few hours to sell your produce and still get there and back in a day.
Of course these are minimum distances in good land, there are many areas which can't support that concentration of farming but the people living there would be more isolated and self reliant.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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