Blackdown Rings – the Norman Involvement

Home , Selgovae, Silures, Trinovantes, William II of England

Blackdown Rings – The Norman involvement Blackdown Rings – The Norman involvement Who was who by 1066 and how related were they Who was who by 1066 and how related were they Britain • Celts - a mosaic of named peoples (Trinovantes, Silures, Cornovii, Selgovae, etc) – little sign of collective identity • Romans invade and many people arrive and settle Who was who by 1066 and how related were they Britain • Celts - a mosaic of named peoples (Trinovantes, Silures, Cornovii, Selgovae, etc) – little sign of collective identity • Romans invade and many people arrive and settle • Romans leave over a period of ~ 100 years settlers remain

• By the 5th century A.D. barbarian tribes were attacking other parts of the Roman Emperor Honorius decided that the Roman legions in Britain were needed elsewhere. He sent a letter to the people of Britain telling them the soldiers had to leave. They must fight the Saxons and invaders on their own. Who was who by 1066 and how related were they Britain • Celts - a mosaic of named peoples (Trinovantes, Silures, Cornovii, Selgovae, etc) – little sign of collective identity • Romans invade and many people arrive and settle • Romans leave over a period of ~ 100 years settlers remain • Saxons invade from their homelands in Northern Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands in the 5th centenary Who was who by 1066 and how related were they Britain • Celts - a mosaic of named peoples (Trinovantes, Silures, Cornovii, Selgovae, etc) – little sign of collective identity • Romans invade and many people arrive and settle • Romans leave over a period of ~ 100 years settlers remain • Ango-Saxons invade from their homelands in Northern Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands in the 5th centenary – they are here to stay and settle in England

Who was who by 1066 and how related were they Britain • Celts - a mosaic of named peoples (Trinovantes, Silures, Cornovii, Selgovae, etc) – little sign of collective identity • Romans invade and many people arrive and settle • Romans leave over a period of ~ 100 years settlers remain • Ango-Saxons invade from their homelands in Northern Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands in the 5th centenary • Viking raids, incursions and invasions - from the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway and Sweden – The name 'Viking' comes from a language called 'Old Norse' and means 'a pirate raid'. People who went off raiding in ships were said to be 'going Viking'. The Viking age in European history was about AD 700 to 1100 Who was who by 1066 and how related were they Britain • Celts - a mosaic of named peoples (Trinovantes, Silures, Cornovii, Selgovae, etc) – little sign of collective identity • Romans invade and many people arrive and settle • Romans leave over a period of ~ 100 years settlers remain • Ango-Saxons invade from their homelands in Northern Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands in the 5th centenary • Viking raids, incursions and invasions - from the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway and Sweden – The name 'Viking' comes from a language called 'Old Norse' and means 'a pirate raid'. People who went off raiding in ships were said to be 'going Viking'. The Viking age in European history was about AD 700 to 1100

Normans • Vikings under the Viking chief named Rollo, from the same regions that invaded England, were given lands in the North of France at the beginning of the tenth century, the French King, Charles the Simple Who was who by 1066 and how related were they Britain • Celts - a mosaic of named peoples (Trinovantes, Silures, Cornovii, Selgovae, etc) – little sign of collective identity • Romans invade and many people arrive and settle • Romans leave over a period of ~ 100 years settlers remain • Ango-Saxons invade from their homelands in Northern Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands in the 5th centenary • Viking raids, incursions and invasions - from the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway and Sweden – The name 'Viking' comes from a language called 'Old Norse' and means 'a pirate raid'. People who went off raiding in ships were said to be 'going Viking'. The Viking age in European history was about AD 700 to 1100 Mixed bag with strong family ties - Germany/Denmark/France/Netherlands/Norway & Sweden Normans • Vikings under the Viking chief named Rollo, from the same regions that invaded England, were given lands in the North of France at the beginning of the tenth century, the French King, Charles the Simple Who was who by 1066 and how related were they Britain • Celts - a mosaic of named peoples (Trinovantes, Silures, Cornovii, Selgovae, etc) – little sign of collective identity • Romans invade and many people arrive and settle • Romans leave over a period of ~ 100 years settlers remain • Ango-Saxons invade from their homelands in Northern Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands in the 5th centenary • Viking raids, incursions and invasions - from the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway and Sweden – The name 'Viking' comes from a language called 'Old Norse' and means 'a pirate raid'. People who went off raiding in ships were said to be 'going Viking'. The Viking age in European history was about AD 700 to 1100 Mixed bag with strong family ties - Germany/Denmark/France/Netherlands/Norway & Sweden Normans • Vikings under the Viking chief named Rollo, from the same regions that invaded England, were given lands in the North of France at the beginning of the tenth century, the French King, Charles the Simple

So, the Danes and the Normans who invaded in 1066 were actually our relatives and were related to the Brits - it really was a no more than family tiff - who was more powerful Edward the Confessor, King of England, dies childless in January 1066

– Normandy - Duke William II Viking

– England - Harald Godwinson Viking Edward the Confessor, King of England, dies childless in January 1066

• By the time the English King Edward died, there was no heirs with Edith. Lack of a clear heir led to a disputed succession process across Europe which resulted in several contenders, all related, laying claim to the English throne • The 3 main ones were: – Norway - Harald Hardrada Viking His claim to the throne was based on an agreement between his predecessor, Magnus the Good, and the earlier English king, Harthacnut, whereby if either died without heir, the other would inherit both England and Norway Edward the Confessor, King of England, dies childless in January 1066

– Normandy - Duke William II Norman He claimed that he had been promised the throne by King Edward and that Harold had sworn agreement to this Edward the Confessor, King of England, dies childless in January 1066

– Normandy - Duke William II Norman

– England - Harald Godwinson Angol-Saxon brother to Queen Edith the pure Edward the Confessor, King of England, died childless in January 1066

• Edward's most local successor was the Earl of Wessex, Harold Godwinson, the richest and most powerful of the English aristocrats – Harold was at the death bed of Edward and told the English Earls that Edward had promised him the throne – Harold was elected king by the Witenagemot of England and crowned by the Archbishop of York, Ealdred – Harold was immediately challenged by his two powerful neighbouring rulers • King Harald III of Norway, - Harald Hardrada, and • Duke William II of Normandy Edward the Confessor, King of England, died childless in January 1066

• William and Harald at once set about assembling troops and ships to invade England The Invaders

DANES

BATTLE AXE; BOW; SPEAR; LANCE SHIELD; SWORD; Edward the Confessor, King of England, died childless in January 1066

• William and Harald at once set about assembling troops and ships to invade England The Invaders

NORMANS

BATTLE AXE; BOW; SPEAR; LANCE SHIELD; SWORD;

Edward the Confessor, King of England, died childless in January 1066

• William and Harald at once set about assembling troops and ships to invade England The Invaders

NORMANS

BATTLE AXE; BOW; SPEAR; LANCE SHIELD; SWORD; KNIGHT Edward the Confessor, King of England, died childless in January 1066

• Harold at once set about assembling troops to repel the invades

The Anglo Saxons ANGLO-SAXON

BATTLE AXE; BOW; SPEAR; LANCE SHIELD; SWORD; The Norwegian king Harald Hardrada invaded northern England in September 1066

• Early September 1066 - King Harald Hardrada invaded northern England – King Harald Hardrada invaded northern England, leading a fleet of more than 300 ships carrying perhaps 15,000 men • Harald's army was further augmented by the forces of Tostig, brother to King Harold of England, who threw his support behind the Norwegian king's bid for the throne – Advancing on York, the Norwegians defeated a northern English army under Edwin and Morcar on 20 September at the Battle of Fulford • The two earls had rushed to engage the Norwegian forces before King Harold could arrive from the south – Hardrada moved on to York, which surrendered to him • After taking hostages from the leading men of the city, on 24 September the Norwegians moved east to the tiny village of Stamford Bridge The Norwegian king Harald Hardrada invaded northern England in September 1066 – Cont.

• King Harold’s response – King Harold probably learned of the Norwegian invasion in mid-September and rushed north, gathering forces as he went • The royal forces probably took nine days to cover the distance from London to York, averaging almost 25 miles (40 kilometres) per day • At dawn on 25 September Harold's forces reached York, where he learned the location of the Norwegians • The English then marched on the invaders and took them by surprise, defeating them in the Battle of Stamford Bridge

According to non-saga sources, the English forces were held up at Stamford Bridge for some time by a single gigantic Norwegian, allowing Harald and Tostig to regroup into a shield-wall formation

• Harald of Norway and Tostig were killed, and the Norwegians suffered such horrific losses that only 24 of the original 300 ships were required to carry away the survivors. The English victory was costly, however, as Harold's army was left in a battered and weakened state, and far from the English Channel. Duke William II – October 1066

• October 1066 William invades in the south of England Duke William II – October 1066

• October 1066 William invades in the south of England – Within days of the defeat of King Harald Hardrada, William landed in southern England • Harold marched south to confront him, leaving a significant portion of his army in the north • Harold's army confronted William's invaders on 14 October at Hastings; – The battle began at about 9 am on 14 October 1066 and lasted all day, but while a broad outline is known, the exact events are obscured by contradictory accounts in the sources • Although the numbers on each side were probably about equal, William had both cavalry and infantry, including many archers, while Harold had only foot soldiers and few archers • The English soldiers formed up as a shield wall along the ridge – At first it was effective and William's army was thrown back with heavy casualties – Some of William's Breton troops panicked and fled, and some of the English troops appear to have pursued the fleeing Bretons. Norman cavalry then attacked and killed the pursuing troops while the Bretons were fleeing, rumours swept the Norman forces that the duke had been killed, but William rallied his troops. – Twice more the Normans made feigned withdrawals, tempting the English into pursuit, and allowing the Norman cavalry to attack them repeatedly – William of Jumieges claimed that Harold was killed by the duke. The Bayeux Tapestry claimed to show Harold's death by an arrow to the eye, but this may be a later reworking of the tapestry to conform to 12th-century stories that Harold had died from an arrow wound to the head Duke William II – October 1066

• Aftermath of the Battle of Hastings – The day after the battle, Harold's body was identified, either by his armour or marks on his body – The bodies of the English dead, who included some of Harold's brothers and his housecarls, were left on the battlefield, although some were removed by relatives later – Gytha, Harold's mother, offered the victorious duke the weight of her son's body in gold for its custody, but her offer was refused – William ordered that Harold's body be thrown into the sea, but whether that took place is unclear – Another story relates that Harold was buried at the top of a cliff – Waltham Abbey, which had been founded by Harold, later claimed that his body had been buried there secretly – Later legends claimed that Harold did not die at Hastings, but escaped and became a hermit at Chester Duke William II – November 1066

– After his victory at Hastings, William expected to receive the submission of the surviving English leaders • Instead Edgar the Ætheling was proclaimed king by the Witenagemot, with the support of Earls Edwin and Morcar, Stigand, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Ealdred, the Archbishop of York • William therefore advanced, marching around the coast of Kent to London. He defeated an English force that attacked him at Southwark, but being unable to storm London Bridge he sought to reach the capital by a more circuitous route – William moved up the Thames valley to cross the river at Wallingford, Berkshire; while there he received the submission of Stigand. He then travelled north-east along the Chilterns, before advancing towards London from the north-west, fighting further engagements against forces from the city. Having failed to muster an effective military response, Edgar's leading supporters lost their nerve, and the English leaders surrendered to William at Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire Duke William II – December 1066

– William was acclaimed King of England and crowned by Ealdred on 25 December 1066, in Westminster Abbey The start of bringing England to heel - 1067

• 1067 – the start of the pacification of England – The new king attempted to conciliate the remaining English nobility by confirming Morcar, Edwin and Waltheof, the Earl of Northumbria, in their lands as well as giving some land to Edgar the Ætheling. William remained in England until March 1067, when he returned to Normandy with English prisoners, including Stigand, Morcar, Edwin, Edgar the Ætheling, and Waltheof – Despite the submission of the English nobles, resistance continued for several years – William left control of England in the hands of his half-brother Odo and one of his closest supporters, William fitzOsbern • In 1067 rebels in Kent launched an unsuccessful attack on Dover Castle • In alliance with the Welsh rulers a revolt in western Mercia, fighting Norman forces based in Hereford – These events forced William to return to England at the end of 1067 • William defeated a number of revolts across England – Meanwhile, Harold's sons, who had taken refuge in Ireland, raided Somerset, Devon and Cornwall from the sea

The start of bringing England to heel – 1068 - 1073 and onwards

• Once England had been conquered, the Normans faced many challenges in maintaining control – Normans were few in number compared to the native English population • Including those from other parts of France, historians estimate the number of Norman landholders at around 8000 – William's followers expected and received lands and titles in return for their service in the invasion, but William claimed ultimate possession of the land in England over which his armies had given him de facto control, and asserted the right to dispose of it as he saw fit • A Norman lord typically had properties located in a piecemeal fashion throughout England and Normandy, and not in a single geographic block – To find the lands to compensate his Norman followers, William initially confiscated the estates of all the English lords who had fought and died with Harold and redistributed part of their lands • These confiscations led to revolts, which resulted in more confiscations, a cycle that continued for five years after the Battle of Hastings Some key success criteria included:

• Dispossess previous sitting owners (mostly Harold supporters) • Give these lands to William supporters • Supporters tasked to: – Settle the locals down – Gather taxes (for William) – Raise local militia to control the locals and support William – Build strong holds - Castellation across the country – To put down and prevent further rebellions the Normans constructed castles and fortifications in unprecedented numbers, – Initially on a motte-and-bailey pattern as they were fast to build and cheap and local labour can easily be made to build the castles for the land owner • Absorption and assimilation of locals – William and his barons exercise tighter control over inheritance of property by widows and daughters, often forcing marriages to Normans Castellation - Early Norman Medieval castle ~ 200 recorded medieval castles were rapidly built across England to secure the Norman presence

Castellation - Early Norman Medieval castle

~ 200 recorded medieval castles were rapidly built across England to secure the Norman presence ~ 60 are Motte-and-Bailey type Inc. Blackdown Rings Exeter

Totness

Plympton

Blackdown rings Castellation - Early Norman Medieval castle

Motte and Bailey

Castellation - Early Norman Medieval castle

Motte and Bailey (including Ringwork and Bailey castles -- Motte and Bailey – just without the Motte)

Castellation - Early Norman Medieval castle

Motte and Bailey (including Ringwork and Bailey castles -- Motte and Bailey – just without the mote)

Motte and bailey castles were first used by the Normans. To secure their settlements after 1066 because they were easy and quick to build The name Motte and Bailey come from Norman words Motte mound or ‘clod of earth’ Bailey an enclosure The Motte

• A raised mound or earthwork which would have a stone or wooden keep on top – Could either be man-made or natural – Sometimes an existing mound of earth was built on top of, other times they were built specifically • Blackdown Rings employed the existing Neolithic mound

• Mottes were flat on top and ranged in size, height and diameter, ranging from 25 feet (8 metres) to over 80 feet (24 metres) – The sides of the motte were very steep – It would have almost impossible to run up the sides of the motte, making it an excellence defence – A deep ditch was dug around the bottom of the motte for extra protection. The Motte and Keep

• Usually a keep and wall were built on top of the motte

• Wood was the most commonly used material, but some keeps were also built from stone – The size of the keep also varied from castle to castle – A keep (from the Middle English kype) is a type of fortified tower built within castles • Wooden keeps were often covered with animal hides – Since wood was easier for an attacker to set on fire, animal hide was placed over the keep to try and make it less at risk of fire The Bailey

• At the bottom of the motte was the bailey – The bailey varied in size from one to three acres and was often shaped like a kidney – although the shape was sometimes dictated by the land – The bailey was surrounded by a palisade and a ditch • The palisade is a strong wooden fence and was also used to surround buildings. • The ditch was called a fosse and surrounded the bailey for additional security.

• The followers of the lord of the castle lived inside the bailey – There were often many buildings inside the bailey – These would include stables, storehouses, bakeries, kitchens, houses and soldiers quarter – The bailey was designed with archers in mind. It was designed so that any point on its circumference (outer edge) would be within bowshot of the tower

The Motte and Bailey

• The motte and bailey were linked by a bridge at the bottom and steps up the side of the motte – Often, ditches surrounding the motte and bailey would be combined. This would form a number 8 shape and water could be diverted into the ditches, creating a moat

• The basic motte and bailey design was often adapted or altered – Some castles would have more than one motte, others might have more defensive ditches, mottes could also be a square shape and some castles has two or more baileys • Motte and bailey castles were quick and easy to erect without a great deal of skill – With a large enough workforce it was possible to build one in just a few weeks • It is estimated that four out of five castles built by the Normans in England were a motte-and-bailey castle

Why the Blackdown Rings?

• The existing earthwork saves effort and there is plenty of material available to build the Bailey • Quick to build and cheaper for the new lord

Why the Blackdown Rings? Great location with good visibility to cover the paths/water ways

Why the Blackdown Rings?

Great location with good visibility to see and be seen as a deterrent The Blackdown Rings Motte-and-Bailey The Blackdown Rings – a description

• Who built the Motte-and-Bailey

– The first feudal baron was Juhel de Totnes (died 1123/30), who is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as possessing 107 manors or other landholdings in Devon • He was in 1069 one of the leaders of Breton forces on the Norman side, fighting against the remaining forces that had been loyal to Harold II of England • He was Lord of Totnes, and holder of many manors in south-west England, at the time of the Domesday Survey (1086). – Reputed to be the builder of the Ringwork-and-Bailey in the Blackdown rings • He was dispossessed or pushed out of Totnes shortly afterward – William II of England ‘’replaced the Breton Judhel, whom he expelled from Totnes at the beginning of his reign for an unknown reason, with his favourite, Roger (I) of Nonant”.

Blackdown Rings – Uses after the Norman’s Land use post Norman castellation

• Field systems – Adjacent to the bailey are the slight earthwork remains of later field boundaries • The Beacon – On the highest part of the ringwork there is a slightly wider area of level ground, about 4.5m by 3.5m in size – This is the site of a beacon shown on a plan of the earthwork dated to 1752 – It is considered to have been a Pole Beacon consisting of an upright timber post set into the ground and braced with a timber framework, to support one or more iron cages holding the combustible material, probably gorse and pitch – Access to the cage or cages would have been by a permanent ladder Blackdown Rings

Blackdown Rings – nous sommes tous français maintenant Blackdown Rings – nous sommes tous français maintenant Blackdown Rings – Details of the build The Blackdown Rings – a description

• How it was built – In the north western part of the Blackdown hillfort defences are the earthwork remains of a medieval castle, taking the form of a ringwork and bailey. – The ringwork • The ringwork occupies the highest ground available within the hillfort, is represented by a substantial penannular earthen bank surrounded by a ditch • The interior of the ringwork consists of a relatively small level area of some 7m diameter, and is offset to the south east of the centre of the ringwork towards a narrow entrance through the bank – The Bank • The bank is about 35m in external diameter at base (natural ground level), flat topped, and with sides that slope steeply both externally and internally to form a rampart up to 4m in height on its highest, northern, side • The bank would have originally supported a wooden palisade • From the interior of the ringwork there is a narrow entrance through the bank • At this point the bank is at its lowest at about 2m in height. The interior slope of the bank is very uneven, having been cut into several large scoops and gulleys. The Blackdown Rings – a description

• How it was built – The Bank (Cont.) • The outer face of the bank slopes directly into the encircling `V' shaped ditch which is up to 7m wide and 2m deep. In its north west quadrant the ditch is contiguous with the ditch of the hillfort. There is a low causeway across the ditch opposite the entrance through the bank, and the southern quadrant of the ditch is subject to seasonal waterlogging – The Rampart leading up to the Bailey • The rampart consists of a steep-sided bank up to 8m wide and 2m in height • On its northern side the bailey rampart overlies the hillfort rampart and at this point is at its highest • The external face of the rampart slopes directly into a steep- sided ditch, about 6m wide and 1.2m-2m deep • Material for the rampart was quarried from this ditch which interconnects with the ditches of the ringwork and hillfort. • On the outer edge of the ditch there is a low counterscarp bank of about 4m width, which is up to 0.6m high where the bailey rampart joins the hillfort rampart • The south east facing aspect of the rampart has two narrow gaps at a point where the rampart is at its lowest, and the northern gap has been interpreted as the site of the original entrance into the bailey. The Blackdown Rings – a description

• How it was built – The Bailey • The bailey lies adjacent to the south east of the ringwork and occupies a level area of approximately 0.2ha, measuring about 53m by 20m, enclosed by an earthwork rampart with an external ditch and counterscarp bank • On the outer edge of the ditch there is a low counterscarp bank of about 4m width, which is up to 0.6m high where the bailey rampart joins the hillfort rampart • The south east facing aspect of the rampart has two narrow gaps at a point where the rampart is at its lowest, and the northern gap has been interpreted as the site of the original entrance into the bailey • There is an area of raised ground in the ditch opposite the entrance which may represent a causeway Motte and Bailey images

Totness Castle

Totness Castle Dudley Castle

Durham Castle Sandal Castle