The Norman Conquest

KS3 History revision notes, key terms and practice questions.

1066: three claimants

  • Edward the Confessor died in January 1066 without a son. Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, was crowned king.
  • William, Duke of Normandy, said Edward had promised him the throne and that Harold had sworn an oath to support him.
  • Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, also claimed the throne, helped by Harold's exiled brother Tostig.
  • The Channel Islands were already part of the Duchy of Normandy, so William was already their duke.

The battles

  • Hardrada invaded the north. Harold marched north and defeated him at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on 25 September 1066.
  • William's fleet had been held back by the wind. It crossed while Harold was in the north, landing at Pevensey on 28 September.
  • At the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, Harold's tired army formed a shield wall on a hill. The Normans used archers, cavalry and pretend retreats to break it, and Harold was killed.
  • William was crowned in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. The Bayeux Tapestry tells the story from the Norman side.

Keeping control

  • Castles: motte and bailey castles were built quickly all over England to control the land around them.
  • The Harrying of the North (1069 to 1070): after rebellions, William's army destroyed villages, crops and animals, and many people starved.
  • The feudal system: the king gave land to barons in return for loyalty and knights; knights served the barons; peasants worked the land.
  • The Domesday Book (1086) recorded who owned the land and what it was worth, so William knew how much tax he could collect.

Key terms

Claimant
Someone who claims a right to the throne.
Harold Godwinson
The English earl crowned king in January 1066.
William of Normandy
The duke who won the Battle of Hastings and became King William I.
Harald Hardrada
The King of Norway who invaded England in 1066.
Shield wall
A line of soldiers with overlapping shields.
Motte and bailey castle
A wooden castle on a mound (motte) with a fenced yard (bailey).
Harrying of the North
William's destruction of the north of England in 1069 to 1070.
Feudal system
Land given in return for loyalty and service.
Domesday Book
A survey of England's land and property made in 1086.
Bayeux Tapestry
A long embroidery showing the Norman Conquest.

Practise The Norman Conquest: 13 questions