TimeRef.com
  • Episodes
    Episode Index
    Key Dates Timelines
    By Category
    This day in history
  • People
    A..Z List of Medieval People
    Kings and Queens of England Kings of Scotland Kings of France Kings of Denmark Emporers of Byzantine Popes and Antipopes Crusader States and their Rulers
    Family Trees
  • Life
    Life in Medieval Times
    Life in a Castle The Feudal System Country Life and Agriculture Life in a Medieval Town Life in a Religious Community
  • Castles
    Castle Index Page Castle Development
    Early Fortifications Motte and bailey Castles Square Keeps Castle of William the Conqueror Concentric Castles Castles of Edward I
    Castle Siege Tactics Parts of a Castle
    Locations of over 300 Castles UK Castles by County
  • Places
    A..Z list of Medieval Buildings 3D Virtual Reconstructions Maps Photographs
    Abbeys and Monasteries Cathedrals Medieval Architecture
  • 3D/VR
    3D Virtual Reconstructions VR Experiences
    Virtual Motte and Bailey Castle Virtual Norman Keep Virtual Siege Engines
    Etal Castle Skenfrith Castle Middleham Castle
    Knights Training
  • More
    Test your Knowledge
    Glossary of Terms
    Games Early Access
    Copyright / About TimeRef.com Contact the Author
TimeRef.com
  • Episodes
    Episode Index
    Key Dates Timelines
    By Category
    This day in history
  • People
    A..Z List of Medieval People
    Kings and Queens of England Kings of Scotland Kings of France Kings of Denmark Emporers of Byzantine Popes and Antipopes Crusader States and their Rulers
    Family Trees
  • Life
    Life in Medieval Times
    Life in a Castle The Feudal System Country Life and Agriculture Life in a Medieval Town Life in a Religious Community
  • Castles
    Castle Index Page Castle Development
    Early Fortifications Motte and bailey Castles Square Keeps Castle of William the Conqueror Concentric Castles Castles of Edward I
    Castle Siege Tactics Parts of a Castle
    Locations of over 300 Castles UK Castles by County
  • Places
    A..Z list of Medieval Buildings 3D Virtual Reconstructions Maps Photographs
    Abbeys and Monasteries Cathedrals Medieval Architecture
  • 3D/VR
    3D Virtual Reconstructions VR Experiences
    Virtual Motte and Bailey Castle Virtual Norman Keep Virtual Siege Engines
    Etal Castle Skenfrith Castle Middleham Castle
    Knights Training
  • More
    Test your Knowledge
    Glossary of Terms
    GamesEarly Access
    Copyright / About TimeRef.com Contact the Author
  1. Home
  2. Episode Index
  3. The Norman Conquest
Episode Details
Episode Details
Please note that the TimeRef website is currently being redesigned.

Norman Conquest (1067 - 1072)

Tweet

How did William Duke of Normandy successfully rule England?

When William the Conqueror became King of England on Christmas Day 1066 his fight to control England had just begun. For the remainder of his reign he had to put down revolts and reorganise the way in which the country was run. Several of the methods he used are listed below: -

  • Putting down rebellions
  • Giving lands to the Barons (the Feudal System)
  • Castle Building
  • The Domesday book

Putting down rebellions

After the Norman invasion the lands owned by the Saxons was taken over by the Normans. Many of the Saxon Earls fled and went into exile. While some areas submitted to William's rule many did not and William had to deal with Saxon resistance. The map below show some of the resistance that the new king had to deal with. The most serious was an invasion by the Scottish king Malcolm III who invaded Northumbria in 1070.

The Harrying of the North

In 1069 William laid waste to the northern lands of England to bring the area for ever under his control. The destruction was so severe that towns were left without inhabitants and so much of the crops and animals were burnt and destroyed that thousands of Northumbrians died of hunger. William also ordered that the land be poisoned so that crops would not grow again for years to come.

Hereward the Wake

Hereward the Wake led a group of rebels in the Fens of East Anglia. Due to the water-logged terrain it took the Normans several months to bring the rebelion under control.

Based on map from Atlas of British History, G.S.P. Freeman-Grenville

Giving lands to the Barons (the Feudal System)

When William the Conqueror became King of England in 1066 he introduced a new kind of feudal system into Britain. William confiscated the land in England from the Saxon lords and allocated it to members of his own family and the Norman barons who had helped him conquer the country. These people were known as tenants-in-chief. Unlike the older Anglo-Saxon form of feudalism these people did not own the land because the ownership remained with William the Conqueror himself.

The land allocated to a tenants-in-chief was known as a manor and tended to be dispursed across the country rather than being one big area. William may has done this to make it harder for a baron to create an army in one location that could be used to overthrow the king. The tenant-in-chief had to provide for himself and his family and to support a number of knights. To do this the barons sub-let their land to other lords and knights lower on the social ladder. At the bottom of the ladder were the common people worked on the land growing crops and raising animals.

The tenants-in-chief did not get the land for free, they rented it from the king in exchange for services. If the services were not provided the tenant-in-chief would be removed, by force if necessary. This was an important change to the older Anglo-Saxon form of feudalism as it meant William could keep control of his land as bad tenants could be removed.

Castle building

William the Conqueror and the Norman barons began to build hundreds of castles in areas of England that they took control of. In many cases the Saxons were used as the work force to build the castles. These early castles were mainly built from wood and are known as Motte and Bailey castles. At the heart of the castle was the motte which was a large mound of earth surrounded by a ditch on top of which was a wooden tower. At the base of the motte was the bailey which was an area surrounded by a bank of earth and a ditch. Around the top of the bank was a wooden wall or palisade. The bailey had enough space for living quarters for the Baron and his attendants, a chapel, tradesmen's workshops such as blacksmiths and animals as well. A strong gatehouse was usually the only entrance to the castle.

This picture shows a reconstruction of a motte and bailey castle. Some castles had water-filled ditches to provide extra defences.

Click here for more information and to walk around a virtual motte and bailey castle

Speed of construction was essential for success of William's castle building plan and motte and bailey castles could be built in a matter of weeks using local features in the land and building materials.

In 1078 William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a huge keep at the castle in London. Under the direction of Gundulf, a castle builder from Normandy, the tower known as the White Tower or Tower of London was built. The size of the castle must have been greater than any building the citizens of London would have seen before and as William may have hoped probably struck them with awe. Although generally square in construction the White Tower has a circular turret to the north-east that has a circular staircase inside it and to the south-east there is a semicircular apse that contains a chapel. The southern side of the castle would of had a small tower at the entrance but this has been removed and not shown in the reconstruction at present.

The Domesday Book

In December of 1085 William the Conqueror ordered the survey of his lands in Britain. The survey was given the name Domesday Book possibly because of its similarity to the Last Judgement of Christ, or Doomsday. A detailed record of ownership of land, types of land, numbers of people and numbers of animals was undertaken. Details were not just required for that moment in time, but at the time of Edward the Confessor (1065) and at the time when the land was granted by William himself. Each shire was required to obtain and collate the information and any disputes were heard in a court with a jury of equal numbers of Englishmen and Normans. The survey was written up into two volumes and was held at the Winchester Treasury.

Whether this was the first survey of its type is unknown, but it is the first recorded survey we have copies of. The reasons why the survey was taken is not known either. After the Conquest the allocation of land had probably been chaotic and the survey could have been a method of sorting out the confusion and used to prevent further disputes. Knowing how much workable land and working people there are would have also been useful for taxation purposes.

The Domesday book shows that the inhabitants of England were divided into four main groups: -

(i) The freemen, consisting of Norman barons and Saxon thanes who held their land with the permission of King William. They are also known as Tenantsin chief.

(ii) Freemen again but of a lower status, and held their land with permission of a lord and had to provide military service to their lord in times of conflict.

(iii) The villeins cam next who were given some land by a lord in return for working on the lord's land. They could not own their own land but were able to spend a small amount of their free time working that land.

(iv) The lowest group of people had no land granted to them and worked for the villeins, or lords in return for food and shelter.

Episode Events
Episode Events

1066

Oct 14
Battle of Hastings
William the Conqueror and King Harold met in battle at Hastings. Although Harold had the superior position on the battlefield his tactics failed and he was killed. This left England open for William to continue with his invasion plans.
Dec 25
William the Conqueror becomes King of England
On Christmas Day, William the Conqueror was crowned as King of England in Westminster Abbey.

1067

...
Chepstow Castle begun
Construction of Chepstow Castle is begun.
...
A castle at Norwich is begun
A motte and bailey castle is built at Norwich.
...
Construction of Wallingford Castle
A castle at Wallingford was built in this year. It would have been a motte and bailey type castle.
...
Construction of Winchester Castle
Construction of a wooden castle was begun at Winchester.
...
Arundel Castle granted to Roger de Montgomery
William the Conqueror granted Arundel Castle to Roger de Montgomery.

1068

...
Warwick Castle built on William's orders
William the Conqueror ordered the building of Warwick Castle.
...
Northern English move to Scotland
Many of the northern English lords escaped to Scotland and to the court of Malcolm III when it was clear that William the Conqueror had control of the country.
...
Construction of Nottingham Castle
William and the Normans started construction of the castle at Nottingham. This would have been a wooden building. It was built on the high ground above the town using the steep slope down to the river Leen as a defence.
Feb
Exeter falls to William
Although William had defeated Harold at Hastings, Harold's mother Gytha and her forces still had not submitted to William's rule. They refused to pay the taxes that William demanded and held out at Exeter until their defences were broken. William had to take heavy casualties in the confrontation. William was still collecting the land tax known as Danegeld. After the city fell, William had a castle constructed to keep control of the population there.
May 11
Matilda is crowned Queen
William brought his wife Matilda of Flander to England to crown her Queen of England. Matilda's coronation took place at Westminster Abbey and the ceremony was performed by the archbishop of York.

1069

...
Danish fought off at Sandwich
An attack by a Danish invasion fleet led by Sweyn Estrithson of Denmark was fought off by a garrison stationed at a castle at Sandwich. Sandwich was an important port on the south coast. The location has now been found and the site is being investigated.
...
Construction of Worcester Castle
Land from the nearby Cathedral was used to build a new Norman motte and bailey castle on the bank of the River Severn.
Dec
The North is devastated by the Normans
Wiilliam laid waste to the northern lands of England to bring the area for ever under his control. The destruction was so severe that towns were left without inhabitants and so much of the crops and animals were burnt and destroyed that thousands of Northumbrians died of hunger. William also ordered that the land be poisoned so that crops would not grow again for years to come. This has become known as the Harrying of the North.

1070

...
Castles at Chester and Stafford begun
William the Conqueror continued his castle building programme at both Chester and Stafford.
...
Castle at Old Sarum
Using the prehistoric hill fort's defensive position to good use, the Normans built a new castle on the Old Sarum site. William the Conqueror paid off his soldiers here in this year.
...
Malcolm raids Northern England
Malcolm, the Scottish king attacked towns in the north of England.
...
Building work at Chepstow
William Fitz Osbern built the hall at Chepstow Castle.
Jun
Hereward the Wake sacks Peterborough Abbey
As part of a revolt against the new Norman invaders, Hereward the Wake sacked the abbey at Peterborough.

1071

...
William puts down the revolt
The rebels Hereward the Wake and Morcar on the Isle of Ely were attacked and defeated by William the Conqueror.
...
Dudley Castle Construction
After Eadwin, the Earl of Mercia, was killed in the revolt against William his castle and lands at Dudley were given to William's Norman followers.
...
Richmond Castle construction
The construction of Richmond Castle began around this time by Alan Rufus, the cousin of the Duke of Brittany.
...
Bangor Cathedral destroyed by the Normans
A Norman army attacked the northern Welsh town of Bangor and destroyed the Cathedral there.

1072

...
At Durham, another castle is ordered
William orders the castle as Durham to be built.
...
Treaty of Abernethy
In response to the earlier Scottish raid into northern England, King William took an army into Scotland. At the Treaty of Abernethy between William the Conqueror and Malcolm III of Scotland, Malcolm agreed to pay homage to William and gave his eldest son as hostage.
Jun
William leads an army into Scotland
It is possible that William the Conqueror was planning to attack King Malcolm to prevent him protecting Edgar the Aetheling and to stop him advancing into the north of England. The treaty 'Peace of Abernethy' brought a solution to the situation where Malcolm agreed to become William's vassal and to expel Edgar.

1073

...
Edgar the Aetheling attempts to take the English throne
Edgar the Aetheling joined forces with King Malcolm in Scotland and King Philippe I of France in an attempt to take the English throne. A storm in the North Sea brought the endevour to an end and Edgar surrendered to William the Conqueror.

1075

...
Construction of Windsor Castle
Construction of Windsor castle started by William the Conqueror.
...
Chepstow Castle passes to the crown
Roger Fitz Osbern joined an unsuccessful uprising against the king and lost. The castle then passed to the crown.

1078

...
Work starts on the White Tower
Gundulf began work on the White Tower, the Tower of London.

1080

...
Colchester castle begun
To defend the estuaries of Essex against attacks from the Danes William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a new castle at Colchester.
...
Construction of Lewes Castles
Work on a castle at Lewes began in 1080 and progressed possibly until 1100.

1081

...
William tours south Wales
William the Conqueror visited South Wales and St. David's. He met Rhys ap Tewdwr, the ruler of the area and allowed him to remain in control of the region for a yearly sum of money.
...
Cardiff Castle construction
William the Conqueror may have ordered the creation of a castle at Cardiff during his tour of Southern Wales. The first castle on the site would have been a motte and bailey type and it was built on the site of existing Roman fortifications.

1085

Dec 25
Domesday Book
At the Christmas Council William the Conqueror ordered the creation of survey of property with their values and populations county by county covering most of England. Commissioners were sent all over England, apart from the far north, to make a record of the population, value, state and ownership of the land. The book known as the Domesday Book consisted of two volumes and was completed by 1088.

1086

Aug 1
Oath of Salisbury
William the Conqueror called a meeting at Old Sarum where he invited his most important vassals and tenants-in-chief in England to swear allegiance to him. The oath is now known as the Oath of Salisbury.

Event Participants and Locations

  • Timeline of medieval battles
  • William (I, the Conqueror, King of England 1066-1087)
  • Malcolm (III, Scottish King 1058-1093)
  • HAROLD (II, Godwinson, King of England 1066)
  • Matilda (of Flanders)
  • Estrithson, Sweyn (King of Denmark (1047-1074))
  • Fitz Osbern, William (Earl of Hereford)
  • Hereward (The Wake)
  • Morcar (Earl of Northumbria)
  • Duncan (II, Scottish King 1094)
  • Edgar (The Aetheling)
  • Philippe (I, King of France 1060-1108)
  • Gundulf
  • Tewdwr, Rhys ap
  • Battle Abbey
  • Hastings (Oct 14 1066)
  • Westminster Abbey
  • Chepstow Castle
  • Norwich Castle
  • Wallingford Castle
  • Arundel Castle
  • Warwick Castle
  • Nottingham Castle
  • Exeter Castle
  • Worcester Castle
  • Worcester Cathedral
  • Old Sarum
  • Peterborough Cathedral
  • Dudley Castle
  • Richmond Castle
  • Windsor Castle
  • Tower of London
  • Colchester Castle
  • Lewes Castle
  • St. David's Cathedral
  • Cardiff Castle
  • Winchester
  • Mercia
  • London

Related Information

William the Conqueror

Coronation
December 25, 1066

Reign To
September 9, 1087

Succeeded
Harold II

Preceded
William II

Royal House
Norman
3D/VR

Virtual Buildings

Transport yourself back up to a thousand years and explore historical buildings as they may have appeared in the past.

Medieval Episodes

Early Middle Ages

  • Saxons and Angles
  • Viking Invasions

High Middle Ages

  • Edward the Confessor and Godwine
  • Reasons for the Norman Invasion
  • The Norman Invasion
  • The Norman Conquest
  • Background to the Crusades
  • People's and First Crusade
  • Second Crusade
  • Third Crusade
  • Stephen's succession to the throne
  • Civil War (The Anarchy)
  • The Conquest of Ireland
  • Henry II and Thomas Becket
  • Excommunication of King John
  • The First Barons' War
  • The Second Barons' War
  • Edward I and Wales
  • Edward I and Scotland

Last Middle Ages

  • Edward II and Piers Gaveston
  • Robert the Bruce
  • Isabella, She-Wolf of France and death of Edward II
  • Edward III starts the Hundred Years War
  • Continues with Richard II
  • Henry V invades France
  • Henry VI and Joan of Arc
  • The Black Death
  • The Peasants Revolt
  • The Lords Appellant
  • Glendower's Revolt
  • Wars of the Roses

Early Modern Period

  • The Great Explorers
  • Henry VIII and his six wives
  • Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Day Queen

Event Participants and Locations

  • Timeline of medieval battles
  • William (I, the Conqueror, King of England 1066-1087)
  • Malcolm (III, Scottish King 1058-1093)
  • HAROLD (II, Godwinson, King of England 1066)
  • Matilda (of Flanders)
  • Estrithson, Sweyn (King of Denmark (1047-1074))
  • Fitz Osbern, William (Earl of Hereford)
  • Hereward (The Wake)
  • Morcar (Earl of Northumbria)
  • Duncan (II, Scottish King 1094)
  • Edgar (The Aetheling)
  • Philippe (I, King of France 1060-1108)
  • Gundulf
  • Tewdwr, Rhys ap
  • Battle Abbey
  • Hastings (Oct 14 1066)
  • Westminster Abbey
  • Chepstow Castle
  • Norwich Castle
  • Wallingford Castle
  • Arundel Castle
  • Warwick Castle
  • Nottingham Castle
  • Exeter Castle
  • Worcester Castle
  • Worcester Cathedral
  • Old Sarum
  • Peterborough Cathedral
  • Dudley Castle
  • Richmond Castle
  • Windsor Castle
  • Tower of London
  • Colchester Castle
  • Lewes Castle
  • St. David's Cathedral
  • Cardiff Castle
  • Winchester
  • Mercia
  • London

Explore the White Tower

Explore four floors of the keep at the Tower of London.

 

Adventure Game - Early Access

Early Access to the TimeRef card-based Adventure Game.

 

Medieval Village - Early Access

Explore the medieval village.

 

^ Back to top

          x-small

          small

          medium

          large

          x-large

          x-x-large

          This popup will contain more information
          This popup will contain more information
          xyz
          xyz