Category: (A) Normans
The Nomans came from Normandy and made lots of changes like building lots of castles, creating Royal Forests and speaking French. Even now 1000 years later they have left many legacies – castles, forests and more Oak trees than the whole of Europe put together.
William I
William I loved hunting so when he came to England he decided to make 22 new ‘Royal Forests’ which only he (and his friends) could hunt in. This was pretty unfair to the people who lived there as some were forced to move and even if they didn’t move they were unable to have fences for their wildstock or hunt for food. There are still forests left like the ‘New Forest’ in Hampshire or…
William II
William II inherited the Crown of England on his father’s death. It is thought he was his father’s favourite (but he wasn’t the eldest, he was the third). His big brother Robert inherited the Dukedom of Normandy. His other big brother died in the New Forest. His little brother Henry just got 5,000 silver coins! It could be that Henry I stole the crown from him though as William II was ‘accidentally’ killed while hunting…
The White Ship
The White ship set sail from France to take Henry I’s heir to England. There was a big party on board and it struck rocks coming out of the harbour. Everyone died except ***
Westminster Abbey
IMG_3134 All the Kings and Queens who were crowned starting from William the Conqueror were crowned here, lots are buried here too. Inside there is the ‘Edward chair’ which would hold the Stone of Scone at a coronation.
Norman Castles
The Normans built lots of castles to defend themselves The bayeaux tapestry is not really a tapestry it is an embroidery
Forest Law
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