New
New
Year 10
AQA
The role of the Norman barons
I can explain the role of barons in Norman Wales.
New
New
Year 10
AQA
The role of the Norman barons
I can explain the role of barons in Norman Wales.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Vassals were people who swore allegiance to their overlord and received land from him in return for service.
- The Marcher earls often relied on vassals to defend the border and expand Norman control in Wales.
- Norman barons exploited weaknesses in Welsh resistance during power struggles between Welsh rulers.
- Norman barons such as Robert of Rhuddlan used brutal tactics to take control of parts of Wales.
Keywords
Baron - an important local landholder in Norman England
Vassal - landholders who received land from their overlord in return for service
Common misconception
Students may think that the Marcher earls governed their earldoms themselves.
In fact, the Marcher earls were busy men with important matters to deal with in Normandy and England. They appointed deputies, including sheriffs, to govern their earldoms in their absence.
A key discussion for the historic environment is whether it was Norman aggressiveness that was responsible for Norman expansion into Wales, or the divided resistance to the Normans due to conflict between the rulers of Wales.
Teacher tip
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
A castelry is an area of land controlled by a castle which supplied the castle with...
Q2.
Colonisation means settling on land that already had people living there, and taking away control from the owners.
Q3.
The Normans constructed more than castles in Wales before 1215, with 100 built along the Welsh Marches.
Q4.
Which of these sentences best describes the function of Norman castles?
They were domestic
They were religious
Q5.
Castle in north Wales was the beginning point of a chain of castles built along the north Wales coast by the end of the 11th century.
Q6.
Which statement best describes the economic impact of castle building in Wales?
It suppressed economic activity
It devastated local economies
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Who were the vassals in the feudal system?
The king's advisors
Local farmers who worked the land independently
Religious leaders who controlled church lands
Q2.
Which castle was built by William FitzOsbern along the border of Herefordshire?
Windsor Castle
Dover Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Q3.
After the death of William FitzOsbern, his son Roger of Breteuil led a failed revolt against the king in , which led to his imprisonment and the loss of his lands.
Q4.
Which Norman baron built a motte-and-bailey castle at Caerleon within the remains of a Roman fort?
William FitzOsbern
Roger of Montgomery
Robert of Rhuddlan
Q5.
The Anglo-Norman chronicler Vitalis provides historians with valuable information about the Marcher earldom of Shrewsbury.
Q6.
Which Norman baron expanded control in north Wales by taking advantage of a power struggle in 1075, and built a castle at Deganwy?
Warin the Bald
Roger de Pitres
Hugh d’Avranches
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