What's covered
Key facts
Norman rule and the feudal system
The demesne was the portion of a manor's land the lord kept for his own use rather than letting to tenants.
The Conquest of 1066
The Bayeux Tapestry depicts events leading to the Norman Conquest.
Norman rule and the feudal system
The Domesday Book of 1086 was William I's survey of landholdings and property across England.
The Conquest of 1066
In 1066 Harald Hardrada of Norway also invaded England before William's victory at Hastings.
Norman rule and the feudal system
William commissioned the Domesday Book to record who owned what land so it could be taxed.
The Conquest of 1066
Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king, was killed at the Battle of Hastings.
Norman rule and the feudal system
By 1086 nearly all of England's land was held by Norman nobles.
The Conquest of 1066
William ordered the Harrying of the North in 1069–70 to crush Anglo-Saxon resistance with deliberate devastation.
Norman rule and the feudal system
The feudal system was a hierarchy in which land was granted in exchange for loyalty and service.
The Conquest of 1066
William's victory at Hastings ended Anglo-Saxon royal rule in England.
Sample questions
A taste of the 25 questions in this topic, answers marked. Sign up to practise the full set with spaced repetition.
What did Norman barons pledge to the king in return for land?
- •A share of all harvest crops
- •Annual cash payments only
- ✓Knight service and loyalty
- •Public worship of the king
At which battle did Harold Godwinson defeat the Vikings just before facing William?
- •Battle of Fulford Gate
- •Battle of Hastings
- •Battle of Senlac Hill
- ✓Stamford Bridge
What was the demesne in a Norman manor?
- •The church-owned strip in a village
- ✓The land the lord kept for his own use
- •The peasants' communal grazing land
- •The royal forest restricted to the king
Which Anglo-Saxon thegn led resistance against William from the Isle of Ely?
- •Edgar the Aetheling
- •Edwin of Mercia
- ✓Hereward the Wake
- •Morcar of Northumbria
What is a motte and bailey castle?
- •A church-fortress combined into one building
- •A stone keep surrounded by a moat
- ✓A wooden tower on a mound beside a fortified yard
- •An underground bunker for nobles in war
What was William of Normandy's main claim to the English throne?
- ✓Edward the Confessor had reportedly promised him the throne
- •William had been born in England and lived there for most of his life
- •William had defeated Harold Godwinson in single combat before 1066
- •William's army had been invited by the English Parliament to invade
Try it for four weeks. Free.
One school. Unlimited classes. No card limit. No teacher limit. If your students aren't practising daily by the end of the trial, you owe us nothing.