New
New
Year 10
AQA

London before the Norman Conquest

I can describe London before the Norman Conquest.

New
New
Year 10
AQA

London before the Norman Conquest

I can describe London before the Norman Conquest.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Roman Londinium was fortified by the London Wall, a two-mile long structure built to defend the city from invaders.
  2. London declined after the Romans left Britain and by the 5th century had been abandoned as a settlement.
  3. In 886, King Alfred the Great re-established a settlement inside the London Wall as a fortified burh.
  4. By the 11th century, London was again an important city due to being a centre of trade, religion and government.
  5. Edward the Confessor had close ties to Westminster, building Westminster Abbey there by 1065.

Keywords

  • Trade - the exchange of goods

  • Abbey - a building housing monks or nuns

  • Cathedral - the seat of a bishop and a very large, usually stone, building used for Christian worship

Common misconception

Romanesque buildings only began to be built in England after the Norman Conquest.

Edward the Confessor's Westminster Abbey was built in Romanesque style and completed in 1065.

Westminster Abbey appears in the Bayeux Tapestry and is thought to be an accurate depiction.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • 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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6 Questions

Q1.
Which word means an army made up of mostly untrained conscripts from England’s peasant population?
housecarl
Correct answer: fyrd
knight
Q2.
Which term describes when soldiers pretend to retreat in order to lure the enemy into a more vulnerable position?
Correct Answer: feigned retreat, fake retreat
Q3.
Complete the sentence: A is a military tactic where soldiers stood in a long line overlapping their shields to form a wall of shields.
Correct Answer: shield wall
Q4.
Put the following events in chronological order.
1 - William intended to sail from Normandy but bad weather prevented him.
2 - Harold sent the southern fyrd home.
3 - Harold fought the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
4 - William set sail for England.
5 - Harold quickly rode south with his housecarls.
6 - The Normans constructed a castle and raided Wessex.
7 - Harold decided to leave London before the whole fyrd had arrived.
Q5.
Put the following events in chronological order.
1 - Harold positioned his forces at the top of Senlac Hill.
2 - Trumpets signalled the start of the battle.
3 - The Norman knights charged up the hill but failed to break the English defence.
4 - A section of the Norman army began to retreat.
5 - William tipped back his helmet to show he was still alive.
6 - The shield wall weakened and the Norman knights rode through.
7 - Harold was killed.
Q6.
The Normans' successful breaking of the Anglo-Saxons' shield wall can be described as a what?
master plan
tactic
Correct answer: turning point
harrying

6 Questions

Q1.
Which word means a building housing monks or nuns?
Correct Answer: abbey
Q2.
Which word describes the seat of a bishop and a very large, usually stone, building used for Christian worship?
Correct Answer: cathedral
Q3.
What was the Roman name for London?
Aquae Sulis
Correct answer: Londinium
Anderitum
Lundenwic
Q4.
Who re-established a settlement inside the London Wall in 886?
Aethelred I
Edward the Elder
Correct answer: Alfred the Great
Athelstan
Q5.
What did Edward the Confessor establish in London in 1065?
Correct answer: Westminster Abbey
a fortified burh
the London Wall
Lundenwic
Q6.
Why did London become increasingly important in Edward the Confessor's reign?
The city served as a focal point for royal palaces and accommodation.
The city served as a focal point for royal religion and finance.
The city served as a focal point for royal entertainment and parties.
Correct answer: The city served as a focal point for royal administration and governance.

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