1. Medieval Britain
1066 - 1485

2. The Vikings and the Anglo-Saxons

3. Edward the Confessor (1016-1066)
 Reign, marked by peace
and prosperity
 Built Westminster Abbey
 After his death in 1066 -
four claimants to the throne:
• Edgar the Atheling
• Harold Godwilson;
• William of Normandy
• Harald Hardrada

4. The Norman Conquest
 14 Oct 1066 – the Battle of
Hastings. William the Conqueror
invades Britain;
 25th
Dec 1066 - Duke William of
Normandy was crowned king of
England
 The Tower of London was built
 1086 - The Domesday Book –
the first national census – was
completed

5. The Tower of London

6. The Battle of Hastings - reenactment

7. Norman houses
 Wattle and daub huts with thatched straw
roofs

8. Changes, brought about by the
Normans
 Strict feudal system was introduced;
 Royal justice administration was enhanced;
 Links with the church were tightened to strengthen
the central government
 A string of stone castles was built;
 Trade (especially wool export) boosted;
 The Parliament was formed;
 The Magna Carta was signed by King John
 The basis of the modern English language was set

9. Motte and Bailey Castles
 Motte - mound
or 'clod of
earth'
 Bailey -
enclosure.

10. Motte and bailey castles restored

11. Windsor Castle
 The official residence of Her Majesty The Queen;
 The oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world;
 Open to visitors

12. The Magna Carta and the Parliament
 1215 – King George was forced by the barons to
agree to Magna Carta, which gave more power to the
nobility;
 The Parliament:
• In Anglo-Saxon times – the Witan;
• After the Norman conquest – the Great Council,
consisting of nobles and churchmen;
• 1258 – the name Parliament was adopted (from the
French word parler), non-noble representatives
included;
• Fully developed as an institution by Edward I

13. Scotland, Wales and Ireland
 Scotland – remained politically independent;
the Lowlands became partly normanized, the
Highlands retained their Celtic language and
traditions
 Wales – by the end of the XIII century – under
the direct rule of the English king, but retained
its language;
 Ireland – its eastern part was controlled by
Anglo-Saxon lords, who gradually adopted
the language and lifestyle of local people

14. A series of separate
wars, lasting from 1337
to 1453 between two
royal houses for the
French throne, which:
► gave impetus to ideas
of both French and
English nationalism;
► saw the introduction
of new military weapons
and tactics

15. The War of the Roses (1455 – 1485)
 The Lancaster family – the red rose
 The York family – the white rose
 Ended in 1485, when Henry VII defeated and
killed Richard III
 The Tudor dynasty (descendants of the Duke
of Lancaster) came into power, bringing a
long period of stability and prosperity

16. Thanks for your attention!
Next time:
Henry VIII and his six wives
Bloody Mary
the Virgin Queen
the Spanish Armada defeated
… and much more.