History Cookbook

Normans / Medieval

The Norman Conquest saw a new system of government being introduced. Land was now "held" from the King by powerful barons, who controlled the lives of the serfs who worked on it. Great castles were built to subdue native revolts. The period saw the Crusades, the signing of Magna Carta, and the beginnings of Parliament. For 100 years or more, England was at war with France, and then the houses of York and Lancaster struggled for the throne of England. Meanwhile, social change was slowly occurring. Towns grew and powerful guilds developed. A rise in population was followed by the Black Death – a devastating plague which killed over a third of the population. In 1381, the Peasants' Revolt led to demands for reforms, heralding the beginning of the end of feudalism in England.

Normans/ Medieval Picture Gallery