Old Sarum Castle Salisbury Old Sarum Began Life As an Iron Age Fort
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Old Sarum castle Salisbury Old Sarum began life as an iron age fort People lived within the walls of the fort in houses made of mud with straw roofs. They lived off of the land and kept pigs. People worked hard and belonged to the tribe called the Belgae. In 100BC Archaeologists believe it was just a hillfort for Roman soldiers Some Romans lived at Old Sarum Lucia was thought to have lived at Old Sarum. She was the wife of a wealthy wine trader from Greece. She thought she was very important because she lived in a villa just outside of the fort. 1000 years ago • It is known that the Vikings were attacking and the king set up a royal mint within the hillfort at Old Sarum so that the money that was being made could be protected. Norman Times • It was William the Conqueror, who had invaded England with his French army and became the king of England This is a painting of William who decided to use the ancient sitting on his throne his fortifications on which to construct a lords would have been wooden castle in 1070. He wanted it awaiting to say they would do what the king wanted to be the site where his lords would them to do. come to swear their allegiance to him. A stone castle was built during the reign of the Norman King Henry 1st Henry 1st had the stone keep built but he did not stay at the castle very often as he was fighting battles in France. He put Bishop Roger in charge when he was away. The Bishop had the first cathedral built. It was made of wood and soon after being finished it burnt down. Bishop Roger had a cathedral built next to the stone castle. Henry the second Henry the second now owned Old Sarum and he decided to have his workers use stone to rebuild the castle. He had a French wife called Eleanor of Aquitaine. She had plotted against the king so the king imprisoned her in the castle for 16 years. People who lived in the castle Many different types of people lived in the castle and in the grounds outside. • The followers of the Lord who ran the castle. • The bishops and their servants • Soldiers and guards • Bakers • Boys looking after horses • Girls and women cleaning the king’s rooms, the halls where everyone slept • Who else might live in a castle? A move to Salisbury Castle life was hard. • It was a long way from the river to fetch the water when the castle well was dry in the summer. • The Bishops were too powerful and spending the money It was decided to relocate nearer to drinking water and to encourage the Bishops to kinder and spend less of the king’s money. A new cathedral and houses were built where we have our cathedral today. Old Sarum Castle today..