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HistoryHistory758 views·Updated Jun 15, 2026·14 pages

GCSE History Study: Anglo Saxons and Normans

user profile picture
jourdie@jourdie

You're about to dive into one of the most dramatic...

1
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

Anglo-Saxon England Before 1066

Picture England in 1060 - it's a tough place to live with only 2 million people and sky-high infant mortality rates. Most people are farmers just trying to survive, but there's actually a pretty organised social hierarchy that determines everyone's place in society.

At the bottom, you've got peasants who rent land and work constantly to feed their families. They owe labour to their lords - skip work and you lose your land! About 10% of people are slaves who can be bought and sold, though they're not always treated brutally.

Moving up the ladder, thegns are the local lords around4,0005,000ofthemaround 4,000-5,000 of them who own significant chunks of land called hides and live in proper manor houses. At the top sit the earls - the real power players who compete to be the king's favourite and sometimes even challenge royal authority.

Key Point: The most powerful earl, Godwin of Wessex, was actually more influential than King Edward himself, showing that royal power had serious limits in Anglo-Saxon England.

2
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

Government and Military in Anglo-Saxon England

Anglo-Saxon England wasn't just a collection of farms - it had a sophisticated government system that kept society running. The country was divided into shires, each with its own court, and these were further split into hundreds and tithings (groups of 10 households).

The shire reeve (sheriff) was like a multi-tasking government official who collected taxes, enforced laws, and organised local military service. When trouble struck, every 5 hides of land had to provide one man for the fyrd - England's militia system that could mobilise thousands of fighters.

Justice worked differently back then too. Instead of police investigations, they had blood feuds where families sought revenge for murdered relatives. The clever solution was wergild - a compensation system where murderers paid the victim's family based on social status (a thegn's life was worth 1,200 shillings compared to a peasant's 200 shillings).

Key Point: Earl Tostig's harsh rule in Northumbria shows how local government could go wrong - his heavy taxation and assassination of rivals led to a massive rebellion in 1065.

3
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

The Succession Crisis of 1066

When Edward the Confessor died on 5th January 1066 without children, England faced a succession crisis that would change everything. Harold Godwinson got himself crowned king the very next day, but he had some serious rival claimants breathing down his neck.

Edgar Aethling had the best bloodline as Edward's nephew, but at just 15 years old, nobody thought he could defend England from invasion. Harald Hardrada of Norway brought 15,000 battle-hardened Vikings and claimed England through old agreements. Most dangerously, William of Normandy insisted Edward had promised him the throne and that Harold had sworn an oath to support his claim.

The summer of 1066 turned into a military nightmare for Harold. First, Hardrada and the exiled Tostig landed with 300 ships at the Humber. After defeating the northern earls Edwin and Morcar at Gate Fulford, they seemed unstoppable until Harold pulled off an incredible 185-mile forced march north in just 5 days.

Key Point: Harold's stunning victory at Stamford Bridge on 25th September killed both Hardrada and Tostig, but left his army exhausted just as William was preparing to land in the south.

4
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

The Battle of Hastings and Norman Victory

The Battle of Hastings on 14th October 1066 was an epic 8-hour slugfest that decided England's future. Harold managed to secure the high ground first, forming an impenetrable shield wall that initially held off everything William threw at it.

William's army was a deadly mix of Norman knights with heavy cavalry, mail armour, and kite shields, plus archers and crossbowmen. Harold's housecarls were legendary warriors armed with massive battle axes, but his hastily-gathered fyrdsmen were just farmers with agricultural tools pressed into military service.

The turning point came when Norman troops used a feigned retreat - pretending to flee in panic. When excited English soldiers broke formation to chase them, they were cut down by Norman cavalry, fatally weakening the shield wall. Harold and his brothers made a desperate last stand around their battle standards but were completely overwhelmed.

Key Point: William's tactical flexibility proved decisive - while the English fought the same way throughout, the Normans adapted their strategy until they found what worked.

5
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

Establishing Norman Control

After Hastings, William didn't just waltz into London and crown himself king. The surviving Anglo-Saxon nobles actually elected Edgar Aethling as their new monarch and prepared to resist from behind London's heavy fortifications.

William showed his strategic brilliance by avoiding a costly siege. Instead, he marched around London, systematically destroying everything in his path until the terrified earls finally submitted at Berkhamstead. Smart move - why lose thousands of men storming walls when you can starve your enemies into surrender?

Initially, William tried to play nice with his new subjects. He kept Anglo-Saxon earls like Edwin and Morcar in power, promised to rule like the best Anglo-Saxon kings, and even allowed Archbishop Stigand to keep his position. But this was all about political survival - he needed time to consolidate power.

Key Point: William declared that all English land now belonged to him personally, giving him the power to reward loyal followers while punishing anyone who opposed him.

6
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

Castles and the New Order

Nothing symbolised Norman dominance like castles - and William built around 500 of them during his reign! These weren't just military bases; they were psychological weapons designed to terrify the local population into submission.

Motte and bailey castles could be constructed in just 4-9 months using forced local labour. The motte (artificial mound) supported a wooden keep that provided lookout points and archer positions, while the bailey (enclosed courtyard) housed troops, stables, and offered protection for locals during attacks.

These fortifications were strategically placed every 32 kilometres apart - exactly one day's march for Norman troops. This meant any rebellion could be crushed before it really got started. Unlike Anglo-Saxon burhs that protected whole communities, castles were private fortresses designed to control and intimidate the conquered population.

Key Point: The marcher earldoms along the Welsh border were given special rights to build castles without royal permission, making them almost like independent kingdoms within England.

7
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

Anglo-Saxon Rebellions and the Harrying of the North

By 1068, Norman rule was becoming unbearable. Edwin and Morcar finally rebelled, furious about broken marriage promises, reduced territories, and watching Norman officials like Odo of Bayeux steal land and allow soldiers to assault Anglo-Saxon women without punishment.

The situation exploded in 1069 when Robert Cumin, the new Norman Earl of Northumbria, was burned alive in Durham cathedral by local rebels. This triggered a massive uprising that brought together Edgar Aethling, Scottish King Malcolm III, and a Danish invasion fleet under King Sweyn - William's worst nightmare scenario.

William's response was absolutely brutal. The Harrying of the North in 1069-70 involved systematically burning crops, slaughtering livestock, and destroying seed for future harvests. As many as 100,000 people died from starvation and exposure during the following winter, with reports of cannibalism and people selling themselves into slavery for food.

Key Point: The Harrying marked a turning point - William abandoned all attempts to win over Anglo-Saxon nobles and decided to replace them entirely with Norman followers.

8
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

The End of Anglo-Saxon Resistance

The final major rebellion centred on Hereward the Wake, an Anglo-Saxon thegn who used the marshy Fenlands around Ely as a base for guerrilla warfare against Norman forces. When he allied with returning Danish forces in 1070, it looked like the resistance might succeed.

However, the Danes were more interested in treasure than conquest. After raiding Peterborough Abbey, they sailed home with their loot, leaving Hereward and Earl Morcar to fight alone. The Normans eventually captured Ely through local knowledge of secret paths through the marshes, though Hereward himself escaped and vanished from history.

By 1071, large-scale Anglo-Saxon resistance was finished. The combination of military defeat, castle construction, and systematic land confiscation had broken the back of noble opposition. William's strategy of divide and conquer had worked perfectly.

Key Point: The failure of Danish support in 1070-71 ended any realistic hope of foreign intervention to restore Anglo-Saxon rule, leaving William free to reshape England completely.

9
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

The Norman Land Revolution

The most dramatic change after 1066 was the complete transformation of landownership. By 1087, over half of England was held by just 190 tenants-in-chief - and only two of them were Anglo-Saxon! The remaining land was split between the Church (25%) and royal estates (20%).

This wasn't just about changing owners - it revolutionised how land tenure worked. Under the Anglo-Saxons, nobles could own bookland outright or hold leases for set periods. Now, William owned everything and everyone else was just a tenant who could lose their property if they displeased the king.

The old system of 4,000 powerful thegns was completely dismantled. Most found themselves reduced to holding tiny plots under Norman lords, while others fled to become mercenaries in Europe. Ceorls (free peasants) virtually disappeared as Norman lords imposed tighter control over rural communities.

Key Point: Land was power in medieval society - by controlling all land grants personally, William ensured that no individual Norman could ever accumulate enough territory to challenge royal authority like the Godwins had done.

10
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

The Feudal System and Royal Power

William introduced the feudal system to guarantee military service without bankrupting the royal treasury. Tenants-in-chief received land grants in exchange for providing knights' service - typically 40 days of unpaid military duty per year.

This created a pyramid of loyalty with William at the top. Tenants-in-chief granted portions of their land to lesser nobles (vassals) who also owed military service, while peasants at the bottom did all the actual farming but had virtually no political power.

To maintain his authority, William used multiple strategies beyond military might. Royal ceremonies with crown-wearing three times yearly, control of coinage and official documents, plus constant travel around England kept his presence visible. Most importantly, oath-taking ceremonies bound everyone in a personal relationship of loyalty to the king.

Key Point: Even the failed Revolt of the Earls in 1075 strengthened William's position by proving that Norman nobles who opposed him would face the same brutal consequences as Anglo-Saxon rebels.

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HistoryHistory758 views·Updated Jun 15, 2026·14 pages

GCSE History Study: Anglo Saxons and Normans

user profile picture
jourdie@jourdie

You're about to dive into one of the most dramatic periods in English history - the Norman Conquest of 1066! This is the story of how England transformed from an Anglo-Saxon kingdom into a Norman-controlled nation, complete with epic battles,...

1
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

Sign up to see the content. It's free!

  • Access to all documents
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  • Join milions of students

Anglo-Saxon England Before 1066

Picture England in 1060 - it's a tough place to live with only 2 million people and sky-high infant mortality rates. Most people are farmers just trying to survive, but there's actually a pretty organised social hierarchy that determines everyone's place in society.

At the bottom, you've got peasants who rent land and work constantly to feed their families. They owe labour to their lords - skip work and you lose your land! About 10% of people are slaves who can be bought and sold, though they're not always treated brutally.

Moving up the ladder, thegns are the local lords around4,0005,000ofthemaround 4,000-5,000 of them who own significant chunks of land called hides and live in proper manor houses. At the top sit the earls - the real power players who compete to be the king's favourite and sometimes even challenge royal authority.

Key Point: The most powerful earl, Godwin of Wessex, was actually more influential than King Edward himself, showing that royal power had serious limits in Anglo-Saxon England.

2
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

Sign up to see the content. It's free!

  • Access to all documents
  • Improve your grades
  • Join milions of students

Government and Military in Anglo-Saxon England

Anglo-Saxon England wasn't just a collection of farms - it had a sophisticated government system that kept society running. The country was divided into shires, each with its own court, and these were further split into hundreds and tithings (groups of 10 households).

The shire reeve (sheriff) was like a multi-tasking government official who collected taxes, enforced laws, and organised local military service. When trouble struck, every 5 hides of land had to provide one man for the fyrd - England's militia system that could mobilise thousands of fighters.

Justice worked differently back then too. Instead of police investigations, they had blood feuds where families sought revenge for murdered relatives. The clever solution was wergild - a compensation system where murderers paid the victim's family based on social status (a thegn's life was worth 1,200 shillings compared to a peasant's 200 shillings).

Key Point: Earl Tostig's harsh rule in Northumbria shows how local government could go wrong - his heavy taxation and assassination of rivals led to a massive rebellion in 1065.

3
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

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  • Access to all documents
  • Improve your grades
  • Join milions of students

The Succession Crisis of 1066

When Edward the Confessor died on 5th January 1066 without children, England faced a succession crisis that would change everything. Harold Godwinson got himself crowned king the very next day, but he had some serious rival claimants breathing down his neck.

Edgar Aethling had the best bloodline as Edward's nephew, but at just 15 years old, nobody thought he could defend England from invasion. Harald Hardrada of Norway brought 15,000 battle-hardened Vikings and claimed England through old agreements. Most dangerously, William of Normandy insisted Edward had promised him the throne and that Harold had sworn an oath to support his claim.

The summer of 1066 turned into a military nightmare for Harold. First, Hardrada and the exiled Tostig landed with 300 ships at the Humber. After defeating the northern earls Edwin and Morcar at Gate Fulford, they seemed unstoppable until Harold pulled off an incredible 185-mile forced march north in just 5 days.

Key Point: Harold's stunning victory at Stamford Bridge on 25th September killed both Hardrada and Tostig, but left his army exhausted just as William was preparing to land in the south.

4
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

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The Battle of Hastings and Norman Victory

The Battle of Hastings on 14th October 1066 was an epic 8-hour slugfest that decided England's future. Harold managed to secure the high ground first, forming an impenetrable shield wall that initially held off everything William threw at it.

William's army was a deadly mix of Norman knights with heavy cavalry, mail armour, and kite shields, plus archers and crossbowmen. Harold's housecarls were legendary warriors armed with massive battle axes, but his hastily-gathered fyrdsmen were just farmers with agricultural tools pressed into military service.

The turning point came when Norman troops used a feigned retreat - pretending to flee in panic. When excited English soldiers broke formation to chase them, they were cut down by Norman cavalry, fatally weakening the shield wall. Harold and his brothers made a desperate last stand around their battle standards but were completely overwhelmed.

Key Point: William's tactical flexibility proved decisive - while the English fought the same way throughout, the Normans adapted their strategy until they found what worked.

5
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

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Establishing Norman Control

After Hastings, William didn't just waltz into London and crown himself king. The surviving Anglo-Saxon nobles actually elected Edgar Aethling as their new monarch and prepared to resist from behind London's heavy fortifications.

William showed his strategic brilliance by avoiding a costly siege. Instead, he marched around London, systematically destroying everything in his path until the terrified earls finally submitted at Berkhamstead. Smart move - why lose thousands of men storming walls when you can starve your enemies into surrender?

Initially, William tried to play nice with his new subjects. He kept Anglo-Saxon earls like Edwin and Morcar in power, promised to rule like the best Anglo-Saxon kings, and even allowed Archbishop Stigand to keep his position. But this was all about political survival - he needed time to consolidate power.

Key Point: William declared that all English land now belonged to him personally, giving him the power to reward loyal followers while punishing anyone who opposed him.

6
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

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  • Access to all documents
  • Improve your grades
  • Join milions of students

Castles and the New Order

Nothing symbolised Norman dominance like castles - and William built around 500 of them during his reign! These weren't just military bases; they were psychological weapons designed to terrify the local population into submission.

Motte and bailey castles could be constructed in just 4-9 months using forced local labour. The motte (artificial mound) supported a wooden keep that provided lookout points and archer positions, while the bailey (enclosed courtyard) housed troops, stables, and offered protection for locals during attacks.

These fortifications were strategically placed every 32 kilometres apart - exactly one day's march for Norman troops. This meant any rebellion could be crushed before it really got started. Unlike Anglo-Saxon burhs that protected whole communities, castles were private fortresses designed to control and intimidate the conquered population.

Key Point: The marcher earldoms along the Welsh border were given special rights to build castles without royal permission, making them almost like independent kingdoms within England.

7
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

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  • Access to all documents
  • Improve your grades
  • Join milions of students

Anglo-Saxon Rebellions and the Harrying of the North

By 1068, Norman rule was becoming unbearable. Edwin and Morcar finally rebelled, furious about broken marriage promises, reduced territories, and watching Norman officials like Odo of Bayeux steal land and allow soldiers to assault Anglo-Saxon women without punishment.

The situation exploded in 1069 when Robert Cumin, the new Norman Earl of Northumbria, was burned alive in Durham cathedral by local rebels. This triggered a massive uprising that brought together Edgar Aethling, Scottish King Malcolm III, and a Danish invasion fleet under King Sweyn - William's worst nightmare scenario.

William's response was absolutely brutal. The Harrying of the North in 1069-70 involved systematically burning crops, slaughtering livestock, and destroying seed for future harvests. As many as 100,000 people died from starvation and exposure during the following winter, with reports of cannibalism and people selling themselves into slavery for food.

Key Point: The Harrying marked a turning point - William abandoned all attempts to win over Anglo-Saxon nobles and decided to replace them entirely with Norman followers.

8
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

Sign up to see the content. It's free!

  • Access to all documents
  • Improve your grades
  • Join milions of students

The End of Anglo-Saxon Resistance

The final major rebellion centred on Hereward the Wake, an Anglo-Saxon thegn who used the marshy Fenlands around Ely as a base for guerrilla warfare against Norman forces. When he allied with returning Danish forces in 1070, it looked like the resistance might succeed.

However, the Danes were more interested in treasure than conquest. After raiding Peterborough Abbey, they sailed home with their loot, leaving Hereward and Earl Morcar to fight alone. The Normans eventually captured Ely through local knowledge of secret paths through the marshes, though Hereward himself escaped and vanished from history.

By 1071, large-scale Anglo-Saxon resistance was finished. The combination of military defeat, castle construction, and systematic land confiscation had broken the back of noble opposition. William's strategy of divide and conquer had worked perfectly.

Key Point: The failure of Danish support in 1070-71 ended any realistic hope of foreign intervention to restore Anglo-Saxon rule, leaving William free to reshape England completely.

9
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

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The Norman Land Revolution

The most dramatic change after 1066 was the complete transformation of landownership. By 1087, over half of England was held by just 190 tenants-in-chief - and only two of them were Anglo-Saxon! The remaining land was split between the Church (25%) and royal estates (20%).

This wasn't just about changing owners - it revolutionised how land tenure worked. Under the Anglo-Saxons, nobles could own bookland outright or hold leases for set periods. Now, William owned everything and everyone else was just a tenant who could lose their property if they displeased the king.

The old system of 4,000 powerful thegns was completely dismantled. Most found themselves reduced to holding tiny plots under Norman lords, while others fled to become mercenaries in Europe. Ceorls (free peasants) virtually disappeared as Norman lords imposed tighter control over rural communities.

Key Point: Land was power in medieval society - by controlling all land grants personally, William ensured that no individual Norman could ever accumulate enough territory to challenge royal authority like the Godwins had done.

10
of 10
(1) Anglo-Saxon & Norman revision
Anglo-Saxon society
-1060, 2 million people in Britain, hard life, high infant mortality, most people farm

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The Feudal System and Royal Power

William introduced the feudal system to guarantee military service without bankrupting the royal treasury. Tenants-in-chief received land grants in exchange for providing knights' service - typically 40 days of unpaid military duty per year.

This created a pyramid of loyalty with William at the top. Tenants-in-chief granted portions of their land to lesser nobles (vassals) who also owed military service, while peasants at the bottom did all the actual farming but had virtually no political power.

To maintain his authority, William used multiple strategies beyond military might. Royal ceremonies with crown-wearing three times yearly, control of coinage and official documents, plus constant travel around England kept his presence visible. Most importantly, oath-taking ceremonies bound everyone in a personal relationship of loyalty to the king.

Key Point: Even the failed Revolt of the Earls in 1075 strengthened William's position by proving that Norman nobles who opposed him would face the same brutal consequences as Anglo-Saxon rebels.

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