HistoryThe Norman Conquest, 1066–108738 min★★★ difficulty

Lesson 5: Land, lordship and government

Norman elites replaced most English landholders, while kings also adapted existing shires, taxation and administration.

Part of your national curriculum

Britain 1066-1901: Understand the development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509
Historical enquiry: Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance
Britain 1066-1901: Understand the impact through time of the Norman Conquest on society and the establishment of feudal government

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Understand the impact through time of the Norman Conquest on society and the establishment of feudal government

Key learning points

• Land redistribution
• Change and continuity

This lesson at a glance

38 minutes
23 parts to scroll through
3 quick checks
Marked quiz at the end
Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

impactnormanconquestsocietyestablishment

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Part 1 of 23 · Discover4%

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Part 1 of 23

Short introduction

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Lesson 5: Land, lordship and government

How land was shared out after the conquest, and what that meant for ordinary people.

In a nutshell

Understand the impact through time of the Norman Conquest on society and the establishment of feudal government

What you already know

Part 2 of 23

Before we start

What you already know

You should already know that William granted land to his followers, and that England already had shires, sheriffs and a tax system before 1066.

Recap: Lesson 4: Resistance and the Harrying

Key words

Part 3 of 23

Key words

Words you'll need today

Tenant-in-chief: A lord holding land directly from the king in return for service.
Feudal: A system of landholding in return for service and loyalty.
Geld: A land tax collected in England before and after 1066.
Sheriff: The king's chief officer in a shire.

Reset break

Part 4 of 23

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Your lesson plan

Part 5 of 23

Lesson brief

How revolutionary was Norman rule?

By the end, you will be able to

• Place events accurately in the conquest chronology
• Explain causes and consequences rather than list them
• Use the named evidence with attention to provenance

Resources

• Domesday Book (1086)
• Lesson notes and marked knowledge check

4 minRecall the chronology and frame the enquiry

15 minRead the textbook explanation and build the argument

11 minInterrogate the archive evidence in context

8 minAnswer the checks and write a supported conclusion

Learning cycle

Part 6 of 23

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Who held the land?

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 7 of 23

Learn

Land redistribution

William held ultimate lordship and granted estates to followers for service. Tenants and obligations formed overlapping relationships, not a perfectly tidy pyramid.

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Part 8 of 23

Pause

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Quick check

Part 9 of 23

Quick check

Who replaced many English landholders?

Give me a hint

Quick check

Part 10 of 23

Quick check

What continued?

Give me a hint

Learning cycle

Part 11 of 23

Learning cycle 2 of 2

What carried on?

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Reset break

Part 12 of 23

Pause

That's sitting 3 of 6 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Explore the idea

Part 13 of 23

Learn

Change and continuity

Sheriffs, geld taxation and written government drew on English practice even as personnel, language and lordship changed.

Quick check

Part 14 of 23

Quick check

Why is a neat feudal pyramid limited?

Give me a hint

Investigate evidence

Part 15 of 23

Evidence 1 of 1

primary

Domesday Book

William I's royal commissioners, 1086

The survey records landholders, resources and values before and after the Conquest for most of England.

It was made for Norman government and taxation. It is exceptionally detailed about property, but records people through categories useful to rulers.

Think like a historian

What could a ruler learn from this record, and whose life is hardest to see?

Source: The National Archives, Domesday Book education resource

View the archive record ↗

Reset break

Part 16 of 23

Pause

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Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

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Common mix-ups

Part 17 of 23

Common mix-ups

Things people often get wrong

People often draw feudalism as a neat pyramid. Real obligations overlapped and varied from place to place.
People often think everything English was swept away. Shires, sheriffs and taxation continued under new masters.

Challenge round

Part 18 of 23

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

Challenge round

Part 19 of 23

Game · Recall cards

An early Norman castle usually had…

Card 1 of 4

Reset break

Part 20 of 23

Pause

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Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Exit quiz

Part 21 of 23

Exit quiz

Show what you've learned

6 questions, marked together at the end. Nothing is timed.

1. Who replaced most English landholders by 1086?
2. Land was granted in return for…
3. Which English practice continued after 1066?
4. Why is a neat feudal pyramid limited?
5. A tenant-in-chief held land from…
6. Continuity and change together show that…

Mastery quiz

Part 22 of 23

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Lesson 5: Land, lordship and government

4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

1. An early Norman castle usually had…
2. Castles were political because…
3. A map helps reveal…
4. Who replaced many English landholders?

Lesson round-up

Part 23 of 23

Lesson round-up

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Part 1 of 23 · Watch & discover

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Understand the development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509
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Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance
Not looked at yet
Understand the impact through time of the Norman Conquest on society and the establishment of feudal government