2.5.3 Anglo-Saxon & Norman Villages

Question 1

Anglo-Saxon Villages (3)

Answer 1

• In 1060, 90% of the population lived in villages.
• Villages were poorly protected.
• When the Vikings attacked, people sheltered in the burh (fortified town).

Question 2

Norman villages (3)

Answer 2

• At the time of the Domesday Book, there were 13,500 villages and towns.
• Villages were also known as manors.
• There was enormous regional variation. Many villages in the north had been badly affected by the Harrying of the North.

Question 3

Hoddesdon (3)

Answer 3

• Hoddesdon is a village in Hertfordshire. It was recorded in the Domesday Book.
• 1086: William I, Count Eustace of Boulogne and Robert Gernon are listed as the owners in the Domesday Book.
• Hoddesdon had 67 houses. This made it a larger village than most in the book.
• 91 villages lived in Hoddesdon. Almost all were villeins. There were also 22 slaves.
• The lord was wealthy. His land had risen in value from £50 in 1066 to £60 1086.

Question 4

What happened to the Anglo-Saxon villagers during Viking attacks?

Answer 4

• Villages were poorly protected.
• During attacks, people sheltered in the burh (fortified town).

Question 5

Norman village life (13)

Answer 5

• Peasants lived in cottages, grew crops on strips of land and grazed animals on the common land. The strips were not separated by hedges - this was known as an open field system.
• The lord kept up to 35% of the land. The peasants had the rest, although they had to pay rent to the lord.
• Metal ploughs were pulled by oxen.
• The main crops were wheat, barely, oats and rye.
• Houses were built along roads and clusted together.
• There was a clear division between land for houses, farmland, pasture for animals and woodland.
• The church bells were rung to signal the beginning and end of the working day.
• They got up half an hour before sunrise and worked until sunset.
• Lunch would usually just be rye bread; in the evening they would usually eat a vegetable-based meal. They would usually drink weak homemade beer or cider.
• Church services were held on Sundays, and on feast days and holy days (holidays).
• Peasants would work every day except Sundays and holy days. Days off would include leisure activities like cock fighting.
• All peasants had to pay a 10 percent tax (tithe) to the Church.
• The local church also acted as a store, a prison and a fortress in times of danger.

Question 6

Norman Peasants’ homes

Answer 6

Houses were usually cold, damp and dark. The walls were made of wattle and daub. They usually had small windows to keep in warmth and stop break-ins. Most families had a single room and animals would often be brought into the house. The thatched roofs were vulnerable to fire.

Question 7

The manor (4)

Answer 7

The manor was a specific area within the village
- It was the area directly owned by the lord and was known as his demesne.
- It included the manor house, where the lord lived, as well as the homes of the peasants known as freemen.
- Thegns, knights and barons often owned land of around 485-730 hectares (1200-1800) acres in size. They would also have owned houses, barns, woods and lakes in and around the manor.
- The manor house itself was made of stone and was much warmer and more secure than the peasants’ houses.