Normanisation of England

After 1070, William eliminated the last of the old Anglo-Saxon land owning elite, by stripping the Lords of their lands and estates. Amy estates that were left without heirs were handed directly to Normans. The transition from a largely Saxon land owning class to a Norman land owning class took place within a generation. The same happened with the Church. Stigand was disposed and replaced with Lanfranc, a scholar and abbot of continental origins. Lanfranc appointed clerics with a similar continental ancestry. The language of government, politics and the church was Latin, and Norman French. To this day, upper class and ‘posh’ language has Norman French origins (e.g. Amorous, Judicial) and common and lower class language has English origins (e.g. Love, Law).

William and his Normans set about with the Normanisation of the English landscape from when they arrived in 1066. The first Norman Castle was built at Hastings in 1066. Early Norman castles and forts were little more than earthen mounds and stockades. Later, these castles and forts were built as stone keeps that still make up the English landscape today. The Norman castles were an insurance against the surly populace that rejected the new Norman regime, a centre of power and control over a localised area, and a series of rallying points from which to organise a defence against any attacks from Scandinavia.

When building an effective and functional castle, the Normans looked for sites with a strong natural defence, such as a steep hill or an expanse of water. It was also very important to have a good look out over the surrounding countryside. When the perfect site was found, the most common structure for the forts and castles was ‘Motte-and-Bailey’. Richard Fitz Gerald, who owned land and built protective castles in Kent, liked this method

The castle he commissioned in Tonbridge, by the River Medway, is a perfect example of the average Norman Castle fortification.  Peasants were forced to dig a large circular ditch, and all of the displaced earth was mounded in the middle of the ditch to create a high mound, known as the ‘motte’. At Tonbridge, the motte was about 60ft high. A wooden tower was built on top of the motte for residential rooms and look out vantages. Next to the motte, a courtyard – the Bailey – was built. This was connected to the motte by a drawbridge that could be withdrawn in an attack to prevent the invaders from gaining entry to the castle. The motte and bailey were then enclosed by a large fence, called a palisade, within the confines of which, houses and stables could be built.

Hundreds of these castles built across England ensured the security of Norman rule over England from the threat of internal revolt and external invasion. Through conquering the governing elite, the church, the population, and in Normanising the country of England, William had indefinitely secured his position as King of England.