## Learning Outcomes

- Recall what happened in 1066 and why England faced invasion
- Identify William of Normandy, Harold Godwinson, and the Battle of Hastings
- Explain why the Norman Conquest changed government and society in England
- Describe what the Domesday Book recorded and why it mattered

## Life in the UK Test Syllabus

For the Life in the UK Test, you are expected to understand the Norman Conquest and its consequences, with a focus on the following syllabus points:

- Know that in 1066 William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold of England at the Battle of Hastings and became William the Conqueror
- Know that Harold was killed at the Battle of Hastings
- Identify the Bayeux embroidery as the famous record of the events of 1066, still in France
- Understand that 1066 was the last successful foreign invasion of England and led to major changes in government and social structure
- Understand that Norman French influenced the development of the English language
- Know what the Domesday Book was and what it recorded about towns, villages, landowners, and possessions

## Test Your Knowledge

_Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, look more closely at that area during your revision._

1. In what year did William, Duke of Normandy, defeat Harold at the Battle of Hastings?
2. What happened to Harold during the Battle of Hastings?
3. What name is given to the large survey ordered by William after the conquest?
4. Why did the Norman Conquest change the English language?
5. Was Scotland conquered by the Normans in 1066?

## Introduction

The Norman Conquest is one of the most tested events in early UK history because it marks a clear turning point. In 1066, England’s king was defeated and replaced by a new ruler from Normandy (in what is now northern France). This led to long-lasting changes in power, land ownership, language, and how the country was governed.

You do not need to memorise long stories for the test, but you do need the core facts: who invaded, which battle decided the outcome, what happened to the English king, and what major changes followed.

> **Key Term: Norman Conquest**  
> The invasion of England in 1066 led by William, Duke of Normandy, resulting in Norman rule after William defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings.

### What happened in 1066

In 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, invaded England and fought King Harold of England (often called Harold Godwinson). The decisive battle was the Battle of Hastings.

Harold was killed in the battle. William won and became king of England. He is remembered as William the Conqueror (King William I).

> **Key Term: Battle of Hastings**  
> The battle fought in 1066 in which William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold of England; Harold was killed and William became king.

A famous embroidered record of the events of 1066 survives and can still be seen in France. It is often used as a key visual record of the story of William’s invasion.

The embroidery is now commonly known as the Bayeux hanging. It is nearly 70 metres (about 230 feet) long and is embroidered with coloured wool on linen. It shows scenes such as Harold’s oath to William, the Norman invasion fleet sailing to England, and the Battle of Hastings itself. Although it is usually called a wall-hanging, it is technically an embroidery.

> **Test Tip:** If a question asks which event made William king, the expected answer is the Battle of Hastings (1066), not a general reference to “the Norman invasion”.

### Why the Norman Conquest mattered

The Norman Conquest was the last successful foreign invasion of England. This is a key “why it matters” fact for the test.

Norman rule led to major changes in the way England was governed and organised. The people in power changed: the new ruling class came from the Normans and spoke Norman French. Over time, this affected English society and the English language.

Before 1066, the main language of the ruling class and many ordinary people in England was a form of Germanic language often called Old English or Anglo-Saxon. After the conquest, the royal court, many nobles, and the church leadership used Norman French and Latin. Ordinary people continued to speak forms of English, but the languages mixed over time.

Norman rule also brought changes to the way land was owned and controlled. William took land from many Anglo-Saxon nobles and gave it to his Norman followers. These supporters, often called barons, owed loyalty and military service to William. This created a clearer feudal structure, where the king was at the top, granting land in return for service.

The Normans also built many stone castles and fortifications across England. These castles helped William and his followers control the land and discourage rebellion. Some English towns grew around Norman castles and cathedrals, shaping the future pattern of settlement.

One of the easiest consequences to remember is language: Norman French influenced the English language, especially in government, law, and the vocabulary of the ruling class. Over time, English developed through the mixing of Norman French and the earlier Anglo-Saxon language.

Many English words connected with power, law and status come from Norman French. Examples include “court”, “parliament”, “judge”, “jury”, “prison”, “government”, “servant”, and “noble”. Often, English kept both an Anglo-Saxon word used in everyday speech and a French-based word used in more formal situations. For example, “kingly” (from Anglo-Saxon roots) and “royal” (from French) can both be used, but “royal” is more formal.

> **Key Term: Norman French**  
> The language of the Norman ruling class after 1066, which strongly influenced the development of English.
>
> **Test Tip:** In multiple-choice questions, “Norman French influenced English” is a safer, more exact answer than “the Normans introduced English”.

The Norman Conquest also affected the church in England. William replaced some Anglo-Saxon bishops and abbots with Normans who supported him. New churches and cathedrals were built in Norman style, which is often called Romanesque architecture. This helped tie the English church more closely to the continent of Europe, especially to Normandy and to Rome.

### Norman control beyond England: Wales and Scotland

The conquest changed England first, but it also affected the rest of Britain.

- The Normans initially conquered parts of Wales, but the Welsh gradually won territory back over time. Norman lords built castles along the border area known as the Marches. These Marcher lords had special powers to defend the frontier and push Norman influence into Wales. However, Wales kept its own princes and was not fully absorbed into the English kingdom at this time.
- The Normans fought the Scots along the border between England and Scotland. They took some land on the border but did not invade Scotland. Scottish kings such as Malcolm III dealt with the Normans through a mixture of warfare, negotiation, and marriage alliances. Scotland remained an independent kingdom, although it was influenced by its powerful southern neighbour.

This distinction is test-friendly because it helps you avoid common traps. The Normans were powerful, but Scotland was not conquered in 1066. You may see questions that ask whether the whole of Britain was taken by the Normans; the correct answer is that England was conquered, Wales was partly controlled, and Scotland stayed independent.

### The Domesday Book: William’s survey of England

After becoming king, William needed control over land and wealth. To do this, he ordered a detailed survey of England. Officials went throughout the country to record information about every area.

This survey became the Domesday Book. It listed towns and villages, who lived there, who owned the land, and what people possessed (including animals). It still exists today and is one of the most important records of English society just after the conquest.

The information was arranged by regions and by the lands held by each lord. It recorded details such as how much land was farmed, how many plough teams there were, what kind of workers lived there (for example, villagers, smallholders and slaves), and what resources were available, such as mills, fisheries or woodland. The survey even tried to show how valuable each place had been before the Norman Conquest and how valuable it was at the time of the survey.

> **Key Term: Domesday Book**  
> A nationwide survey ordered by William I that recorded towns and villages, land ownership, and wealth (including animals), giving a picture of England after the Norman Conquest.

It is helpful to think of the Domesday Book as an administrative snapshot: it shows what England looked like under the new Norman system of landholding and control.

A practical reason the Domesday Book mattered is that it helped William govern effectively. If the king knew who owned land and resources, he could manage power, demand service, and raise money.

Because the survey was so thorough, people later compared it to the Christian idea of the Day of Judgement, when everything about a person’s life would be known. This is one explanation for the name “Domesday”, which sounds like “Doomsday”. Once something was written in the Domesday Book, there was little room to argue against it in legal disputes.

The Domesday Book is still used today by historians and researchers to learn about life in 11th-century England. It helps show how the Norman Conquest changed land ownership and how the economy worked in towns and in the countryside.

> **Test Tip:** If asked what the Domesday Book contains, choose answers about land, ownership, and possessions—not “stories of battles” or “religious teachings”.

## Key Point Checklist

_This article has covered the following key knowledge points:_

- The Norman Conquest took place in 1066
- William, Duke of Normandy (from northern France), invaded England in 1066
- William defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings
- Harold was killed at the Battle of Hastings
- William became King William I and is known as William the Conqueror
- The events of 1066 are recorded in a famous embroidery that can still be seen in France
- The embroidery is known as the Bayeux hanging, is nearly 70 metres long, and shows scenes from the Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings
- The Norman Conquest was the last successful foreign invasion of England
- The conquest led to major changes in government and social structure in England
- William replaced many Anglo-Saxon nobles with Norman supporters and strengthened feudal landholding
- The Normans built stone castles and cathedrals to help control the country and express their power
- The Norman Conquest affected the English church and linked it more closely to Europe
- Norman French influenced the development of the English language
- Many English words about law, government and status come from Norman French
- The Normans initially conquered Wales, but the Welsh gradually won territory back
- The Normans did not invade Scotland, though they took some border land
- Scotland remained an independent kingdom, although it was affected by Norman power
- William ordered the Domesday Book survey, which still exists and records land, people, and possessions
- The Domesday Book helped William control land, raise money and settle disputes

## Key Terms and Concepts

- Norman Conquest
- Battle of Hastings
- Norman French
- Domesday Book


Early Britain to 1066 - Norman Conquest