2.5.2 Norman towns

Question 1

Castles were built at important strategic points, often in important towns. Why were they important? (2)

Answer 1

• Castles helped to defend England from foreign invasion. Castles were built in vital strategic locations across England. Places like the border between England and Wales and outside key towns helped defend Normand England against foreign attackers.
• Castles helped to maintain William of Normandy’s control over the local population. Many local earls did not like William. Having a military presence in each town helped to secure the local area and the size for castles were physically intimidating, scaring people away from rebelling.

Question 2

Castles in towns

Answer 2

Building castles allowed the Normans to establish control over a town. Anglo-Saxon burhs had traditionally been to protect the whole town. Castles were at the centre of many larger towns, were to keep control of the local population and became centres of trade.

Question 3

More towns in Norman England

Answer 3

Under the Normans, the number of towns increased. Existing towns grew in size as castles were built and infrastructure improved. Trade with Europe increased as the Normans had connections to Norman France. The Domesday Book showed 18 towns with more than 2,000 people.

Question 4

Key features of a Norman town (5)

Answer 4

• Peasants and most people in England lived in tiny houses in the town centre. They would be cramped on narrow streets, with farmland surrounding the town centre.
• Castles were at the centre of many larger towns and became centres of trade.
• Other towns had cathedrals at their centre (some, like Lincoln, had both.)
• Burgesses were important figures in towns. They had the right to buy and sell property but owed tax and services to the local lord. In some area they handled legal issues for the shire or the hundred.
• Churches and religious houses (abbeys containing nuns and monasteries containing monks) could also be found in towns. Abbeys and monasteries sometimes provided healthcare and food for the very poor.

Question 5

What were the 5 main trading industries that contributed to the growth of towns in Norman England?

Answer 5

• Metalwork
• Wool
• Livestock
• Salt
• Fish

Question 6

How did the metalwork trade contribute to the growth of towns?

Answer 6

Towns like Gloucester became centres of iron and lead production, important for house building and making weapons. These towns tended to be located near woodland so that they were able to use the wood in their furnaces.

Question 7

How did the wool trade contribute to the growth of towns in Norman England?

Answer 7

Although produced in the countryside, wool was brought to towns like Lincoln and York to be sold at the markets. It was exported to the rest of Europe so many coastal towns became centres of international trade.

Question 8

How did the salt trade contribute to the growth of towns in Norman England?

Answer 8

Towns like Droitwich grew as a result of the production and sale of salt, used in cooking and food preservation.

Question 9

Guilds in Norman England

Answer 9

Weavers, goldsmiths, bakers, butchers and others began to form specialist associations, or guilds in each town. Guilds were groups of certain types of workers. Being in a guild meant that you shared best practice with other members of the guild and was a stamp of quality control.

Question 10

The growth of towns

Answer 10

• After the invasion, existing towns grew in importance as administrative or religious centres.
• London and Norwich became increasingly important as administrative centres. Winchester’s importance declined, but a new cathedral made it religiously significant.
• Norman nobles encouraged towns to grow as a way of developing foreign trade, particularly in the south. Towns were able to specialise in a particular product or material.
• Between 1066 and 1100, 21 new towns developed. Evidence of this growth can be found in the Domesday Survey.

Question 11

Markets and fairs

Answer 11

To hold a market or a fair, a town needed a special permission (franchise) that was given in the form of a grant by the king. William gave out around 2800 grants. Markets were places for traders to buy and sell products and, although fairs were officially religious celebrations, they were also often places of commerce.

Question 12

Role of citizens (3)

Answer 12

• If a villein (peasant) escaped to a town and lived there for a year, he became a free-man.
• Citizens of towns were called burgesses. They were responsible for acting as watch-men on the outskirts of the city. They helped the militia when needed and could rule on disputes between people.
• Citizens also paid taxes to the noble or earl in charge of their town.

Question 13

Charters

Answer 13

• If a city reached a certain size, it could ask its local lord who would ask the king for a charter for independence.
• A charter meant that a city could run itself and collect taxes from its citizens as it wished, although proceeds still had to be paid to the king and the local noble or Earl.

Question 14

Charter towns

Answer 14

Charter towns raised taxes independently, but some still had to be paid to the king and the local lord.

Question 15

How many towns in the Domesday Book had more than 2,000 people?

Answer 15

18