TimeRef Shield Creator

Medieval Heraldry

Design your own medieval Coat of Arms.

Episodes

Castles

Medieval Timelines

FAQ

Q: What does the term 'Medieval Period' mean?
A: The Medieval Period (or Middle Ages) describe a period in our history.

Q: When was the Medieval Period or the Middle Ages?
A: They began in the 5th century (roughly between 400AD & 500AD) at the fall of the Roman Empire in the West. The Medieval Period lasted until the start of the 16th century (1500AD).

Q: How long did the Medieval Period last?
A: The Medieval Period lasted for around 1,000 years.

Virtual Buildings

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

 

 

Medieval and Middle Ages History Timelines

xplore the history of the Medieval period from the time of Alfred the Great through the Norman Conquest and up to the start of the Tudor Age. Detailed Timelines contain events for years between 800 and 1603. Maps show the locations of castles, abbeys and cathedrals in England, Scotland and Wales. Every person and building on this site has a timeline and links to related subjects.

Updated on 3rd of January, 2026.

Thanks for getting here and not relying on chatgpt.com!

Wishing eveyone a Happy New Year.

This day in history

Medieval People

ncover the lives of the hundreds of kings, queens, lords, ladies, barons, earls, archbishops and rebels who made the medieval era an exciting period of history to live through.

Medieval Castles

castle is a fortified building or set of buildings used to provide permanent or temporary protection and accomodation for kings and queens or important noblemen and their families. The term castle usually refers to stone buildings constructed during the Medieval period. The castle provided the centre for political and administrative power for the region.

Medieval Heraldry

n introduction to medieval heraldry. Heraldry is a complex subject, and you can spend many hours studying it. This guide will help you learn the basics and give you the facts and tools you need to design your very own medieval coat of arms. Join Walter the Herald who will guide you on your voyage of discovery.

Abbeys and Monasteries

bbeys and Monasteries were populated by many different religious orders with their own beliefs, rules and restrictions. The medieval period saw the foundation of a large number of religious orders including the popular Benedictines and Cistercians.

TimeRef Shield Designer

Use this medieval shield designer to create your coat of arms. Click the image below to start your design.

TimeRef Shield Designer

Use this medieval shield designer to create your coat of arms. Click the image below to start your design.

3D Virtual Reconstructions

ransport yourself back up to a thousand years and explore historical buildings as they may have appeared in the past. Built using the popular game development tool Unity 3D, these reconstructions will run in the most of the popular web browsers on your desktop, laptop, Android mobile or tablet devices.

Individual Reconstructions

Etal, the Border Castle

How about exploring a Northumberland castle built near the Scottish border. An excellent example of a tower house with improved fortifications.

A Motte and Bailey Castle

You may also be interested in exploring a motte and bailey castle. Hundreds of these early medieval castles were build all across Europe.

A Norman Square Keep

You may also be interested in exploring a Norman square keep similar to the one built in the reign of King Henry II at Dover Castle.

White Tower at the Tower of London

How about exploring all four floors of the White Tower at the Tower of London, the castle built by William the Conqueror after the Norman Invasion.

Explore the Medieval Village

Explore a medieval village, complete with manor house, church, market place and houses.

Explore the Medieval Town

Explore a medieval town surrounded by high defensive walls.

Explore the Medieval Abbey

Explore a typical Cistercian abbey.

Explore Middleham Castle

Explore Middleham Castle, the home of the Neville family and King Richard III. Walk around the outer and inner baileys and surrounding landscape.

VR Experiences

Use a VR headset to transport yourself back up to a thousand years and experience life in medieval times.

Built using the popular game development tool Unity 3D, the reconstruction allows you to stand is medieval environment.

The reconstuction has been tested on an Oculus Quest 2, but should work on other webxr enabled devices such as mobile phones.

To try this on an Oculus Quest 2, using the built-in browser to navigate to this web page.

TimeRef Shield Creator

Medieval Heraldry

Design your own medieval Coat of Arms.

Episodes

Castles

Medieval Timelines

Medieval People & Life

Abbeys & Monasteries

Buildings, Places & Maps

Interactive Map

A map showing the many locations of medieval castles, abbeys and cathedrals.