and the hospital of St. Mary; the remaining section had to be gravelled. Canterbury, meanwhile, was forced to repair roads with "faggots of broom" laid in the ruts in 1481-2 (Salusbury-Jones 32-33).
When repaving a road, crews rarely cleared away the old surface to a sufficient depth; thus street levels rose throughout the Middle Ages. These raised sections inhibited drainage and led to the accumulation of filth. A foundation, or roadbed, of large stones was rarely, if ever, laid underneath the pavement in order to accommodate heavy traffic. Thus, ruts were quickly worn into the streets, eventually inhibiting proper drainage; the general condition of the streets was poor by modern standards. The underlying gravel bed was pitched (or sloped) towards the gutter(s) in the center or at the sides of the road. Courses of stones were then spaced upon the gravel bed and tapped in, to the right level. The whole surface was finally rammed in tight using a hand rammer made of iron or wood. This method, however, never left a smooth surface since it was dependent upon
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