Hello and welcome to today's history lesson.

My name is Mr. Merrett and I'll be guiding you through today's lesson.

So let's get started.

Today's lesson looking at the Norman England historic environment will focus on the function of Pevensey Castle, and by the end of today's lesson we'll be able to explain the different functions of Pevensey Castle.

In order to do that, we need to use some key terms, and our key terms for today are administrative and rebellion.

Administrative is relating to the running of a business or government, and a rebellion is an armed uprising against a ruler.

Today's lesson will consist of two separate learning cycles, and our first learning cycle is looking at Pevensey as an administrative centre.

So let's get going.

So following his success at the Battle of Hastings and his subsequent coronation as King of England on Christmas Day, 1066, William the conqueror turned his mind to how to manage his new territory.

England's wealth was well known, but the Normans were invaders in a hostile land, so maintaining a grip on this rich country would not be simple.

William also needed to ensure that England could not be invaded in the same manner that he himself had accomplished.

William's answer to these problems was to build castles.

These multipurpose structures enabled the Normans to maintain control over a rebellious population effectively, as well as ensure that England's rich resources could be managed appropriately.

William also recognised that Sussex was a weak point in England's defences, and needed to be strengthened.

And the reason being, of course, is that he himself had landed in Sussex, Pevensey in Sussex, from Normandy when he first came in in 1066.

As was the case with much of the rest of the country, Anglo-Saxon landholders of Sussex were legally deprived of their lands if they had fought with Harold against William.

And William's argument was that he had always been the legitimate heir of Edward the Confessor, which made Harold an illegal usurper, and those who fought with him were therefore betraying their actual king, William.

These lands were then given to William's Norman followers.

And along with this, there was a large amount of land grabbing by the new Norman landholders who added to their estates with any Anglo-Saxon lands they felt inclined to seize.

There were very few Anglo-Saxon landholders after the Normans occupied in 1066.

There were a few and there were at least two in Sussex, but they held one manor each, a manor being a village effectively.

So they controlled one village each, which is still pretty good, but is absolutely nowhere near as strong as what they once were.

William rewarded his followers with lands scattered across the country so that no one was able to build a significant power base that could be used to challenge the king.

The exceptions were lords that defended vulnerable borders such as the borders of Wales and Scotland.

On the border of Wales, the three Marcher Earls were each given a complete Shire, which is Cheshire, Shropshire, and Herefordshire.

They were given these lands so that they'll be strong enough to resist any possible invasions, plus additional powers which they could use as and when they saw fit.

Things like being able to build their own castles without the king's say so.

Similar rights were also given to the Lords of Sussex.

Right, let's stop for a quick check for understanding.

Just a very quick question.

Why did William recognise that Sussex needed to be strengthened with castles? So pause the video whilst you think about that question.

I'll see you just a moment.

Okay, so hopefully you come up with a similar answer to myself, which is that William himself had landed in Pevensey when he invaded England and he had not been met with any resistance.

This is one of the reasons that William believed that Sussex needed to be strengthened with Castles.

Now, Sussex was divided into five territories, and the name of these territories was rapes, and historians that are not entirely sure where this term comes from.

There is a school of thought that believes it may have come from Normandy, and it was an old Norse word for, "Rope." And the reason mean is there are cases of Normans measuring and allocating land by the rope.

There's also evidence to suggest that this word predated the Norman invasion, and we do have evidence of the fact that Normans just tended to keep hold of localised words in order to kind of ease that administrative transition from one power to another as well.

So regardless of where this word came from, this was the term used to divide up Sussex up until around about the 19th century.

So Sussex divided into these five rapes.

There were originally four.

A fifth was added in 1073.

Arundel was originally a massive territory.

It was split though in 1073.

And a sixth rape was added in the 13th century as well.

And these rapes were held by some of William's most trusted men.

Each of the original four Sussex Lords was related to William by blood, and this just signifies just how important William viewed Sussex to be.

Each rape defended a stretch of the coastline and it ran from south to north.

So the southern part of the rape was the most significant part, the most important part because it's that coastline that needed to be defended.

And the northern territory was generally speaking less populated, but that land could be used to help the people in the castle survive.

So given things like food and and gold from anybody who might be paying taxes who live there.

Now, William ordered a castle to be built in each rape, with the adjoining land intended to be enough to support the inhabitants of the castle.

Some of the castles were built along the coasts, such as at Pevensey and at Hastings, whereas others were built up river, so slightly further in land, but with access to the coast such as for instance, Arundel, Bramber and Lewes Castle all had that for example.

Let's stop for another quick check for understanding.

It's a discussion-based question.

I'd like you to think, how do we know that William viewed Sussex as an important location in England? So pause the video whilst you consider that question and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hope you got okay with that task.

Let's think about what you could have said then.

So you could have said that each of the original four Sussex lords were related to William by blood, were therefore presumably men he trusted and knew well.

And William ordered a castle to be built in each rape.

And he did this to ensure that each territory within Sussex could be properly defended.

So therefore we know that William viewed Sussex to be effectively the same as the border of Wales or the border of Scotland.

This was a frontier region that needed to be defended at all costs.

Now, the first Lord of Pevensey was Robert, Count of Mortain who was William's half brother.

And Robert was a man that had proven himself capable and trustworthy, being the holder of the vital southern border of Normandy before the Norman invasion.

He is also one of the very few people that can be proven to have fought alongside William at the Battle of Hastings.

And the reason why we can do this is that he's depicted and named in the Bayeux Tapestry, and on the screen in front of you there is the scene in which Robert is named.

He's seen there sitting next to his half brother, William.

And on the other side is his full brother Odo, who is also William's half brother as well.

So it was Odo of Bayeux who actually arranged for the Bayeux Tapestry to be created.

Naturally, his name does feature within it, but also as does his brothers' Robert as well.

Now Robert also provided William with 120 ships for his invasion of England, which was the most of any of William's followers.

And he was rewarded with vast and important lands following the Norman Conquest.

I'm just gonna put it into perspective.

By the time of the Doomsday Book in 1086, Robert held 797 manors across England, which included pretty much all of Cornwall.

And again, a manor is roughly effectively a village.

So almost 800 villages paid taxes to Robert, Count of Mortain across England.

Pevensey though was among the most important of Robert's holdings due to its strategic location.

William acknowledged its important by making it the largest of the Sussex rapes.

After we went from four to five, that is.

The Pevensey rape was 926 kilometres squared, which was large enough to ensure that its castle would most certainly be well provided for.

Although Robert held Pevensey and was almost certainly responsible for converting the wooden Motte & Bailey castle into a permanent stone structure, he did not actually spend much time with there.

Instead, the castle and the rape was run by a sheriff who carried out essential administrative duties.

The sheriff's administrative responsibilities were to keep the peace in the rape, to call up men at arms to serve in the King's army when necessary, and to collect taxes.

The sheriff collected taxes by deciding how much tax was to be paid by each hundred, and a hundred is a small region within that larger territory.

And he did this with the aid of knights from the local area as well as a representative from the national government as well.

Once the taxes were paid, they'll be stored safely in Pevensey Castle until the time came for them to be transferred to the treasury, which was generally held in Winchester.

As Sussex was a rich county, Pevensey castle needed to be a secure location from which to collect and secure the taxes from its rape.

Right, let's do another check for understanding now.

So I'd like you to identify two aspects of Pevensey Castle that relate to its use as an administrative centre.

So could it be that it was a base for the sheriff? Could it be that soldiers were garrisoned inside? Could it be that taxes were collected and stored there? And could it be that the original Roman walls were upgraded? So choose two of those options now.

Okay, if you chose A and C, then very well done.

Those are the correct answers.

It's probably worth pointing out that all of the options are true, but the answer B and D relate more to its use as a garrison, as a a military site as opposed to administrative sensor.

So that's the key aspect there.

And another check for understanding, it's a discussion-based question.

I'd like you to think, how do we know that Pevensey Castle was considered an important location in Sussex? So pause the video now whilst you complete that task, and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hope you got on okay with that task.

Let's think about what you could have said then.

So you could have said that it was controlled by William's half brother, Robert, Count of Mortain.

That it was the administrative centre of one of the five rapes.

That Pevensey was the largest of the rapes.

That it was strategically important to prevent another seaborne invasion.

So if you've got any different aspects than myself that you've considered, that's fantastic, but have you got at least a couple of the ones I've got on the screen there in front of you as well? Right, let's go for our first task for today.

So I'd like to explain two ways in which Pevensey Castle was a good choice to be an administrative centre for its rape.

So you might have identified them already, and now I want you to fully explain them as well.

So pause the video whilst you do that task and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

I hope you've got on okay with that task.

Let's think of what you could have said then.

So you could have said one way in which Pevensey Castle was a good choice to be at administrative centre for its rape was because it was the home of the sheriff.

In the absence of Robert, Count of Mortain, who was given control of Pevensey, the rape was managed by a sheriff who was based in the castle.

The sheriff's job was to keep the peace in the rape, provide men at arms to the king when needed, and collect taxes, all of which could best be done from a single and easily identifiable location like Pevensey Castle.

Another way in which Pevensey castle was a good choice to be a administrative sensor for its rape was because it was a secure location.

The Normans were an invading force who are not well liked by the Anglo-Saxons.

So the place from which the rape was organised and the taxes held needed to be safe from any potential rebellions that might spring up.

Similarly, Pevensey Castle was strategically important to prevent another seaborne invasion.

So hopefully your answer follows a similar format and structure to mine in a sense that I've identified a reason why it was a good choice, and then I fully explain that reason as well.

Alright, let's go for our second and final learning cycle for today, which is looking at Pevensey as a garrison.

So the Anglo-Saxons across England did not take kindly to Norman occupation.

Revolts sprang up across the length and breadth of the country, from Exeter in the southwest up to York in the north, which the Normans countered with very harsh reprisals in some cases.

In order to deal with the ever present threats of rebellion, the Normans built somewhere around the the vicinity of 800 castles across England.

Because many of them were wooden structures and they disintegrated, we don't actually know for certain how many castles were built.

At the lower end of the scale though is 500 castles.

So at least 500 castles, historians estimate, were built across England.

At the higher end, some people say it was more than 1000 castles were built.

So 800 is is a fairly good average for how many castles the Normans built in England.

Now, many of them, as I said, remained simple wooden Motte & Bailey structures, but there were plenty that were converted into more permanent stone structures during the 12th century.

The Normans built their castles within a day's travel of each other, so when journeying, they would always have a safe place to rest for the night.

This was important as the Normans were severely outnumbered by the native Anglo-Saxons, so they couldn't afford to put themselves in unnecessary danger.

Each of the castles within Sussex' rape were therefore within a day's march of the adjacent ones.

And if you look at the map on the screen there, hopefully you can see that is roughly the case there.

So they are are fairly evenly spread apart, roughly at the very maximum a day's travel between each of these castles.

Now, castles were almost unknown in England before the arrival of the Normans, Anglo-Saxon burhs were present.

They were walled towns that were used to defend against Viking invaders.

But Norman Motte & Bailey castles were a very, very different structure.

The castles were excellent defensive structures located on high ground and surrounded by walls and ditches.

These were designed to provide a really, really strong element of protection for a relatively small number of people, whereas the Anglo-Saxon burhs were designed to envelop a whole town, so you would need a lot of defenders to man the walls to make sure that there was no gaps in the defence at all, and hopefully they could hold out from any invasion.

Whereas the Motte & Bailey castles, everybody, all the defenders, would come together in a very, very small space.

It was very easy to defend in that respect.

Now, in the case of Pevensey, the immense Roman walls served as an added layer of protection.

A small garrison of Norman soldiers could successfully defend a Motte & Bailey castle from a large attacking force.

And primarily, especially early on in the Norman occupation, small garrisons is all that there were.

There weren't actually that many Normans that remained in England with William after the occupation had been successfully achieved.

Many of William's troops at the Battle of Hastings were mercenaries, or there were troops from his allies in Flanders and Brittany.

And many of them went home after they'd successfully defeated the Anglo-Saxon King, Harold II.

There were a few Normans that remained, but they had to be spread around dangerous points around the country.

So it was only ever small garrisons of Normans that are in any one place at one time.

And that's why they needed to have really, really strong defences.

Let's have a check for understanding now.

So as well as the local sheriff, who else would've used Pevensey Castle as their home? Was it a small garrison of soldiers? Was it the king or was it the local people? Make your choice now.

Okay, if you chose A then well done.

That's the correct answer.

Now, the castles also serve preventative and offensive purposes.

If a rebellion broke out, Norman soldiers could sally forth from their castles.

They could then strike the enemy and then feel confident in making it back to ideally their own castle, or at the very worst, the closest castle in order to regroup.

Most importantly, though, the presence of a castle reduced the likelihood of rebellions breaking out.

And the reason it did this is that it intimidated the local population into obedience.

The Motte & Bailey castle was generally the tallest structure in the local area because it was built in that artificial mound, that Motte.

The Normans wanted the Anglo-Saxons to feel as though they were always being watched.

And also they wanted them to feel as if there was nothing they could do about it.

The Anglo-Saxons weren't overly effective at storming castles, certainly not at this point in time.

Pevensey, though, never actually experienced an Anglo-Saxon rebellion, despite the fact that it was part of the stronghold of the previous Anglo-Saxon king, Harold Godwinson.

Pevensey Castle was a more intimidating structure than many other Norman Castles.

And the reason being is that it was within the massive walls of an existing Roman fort.

The quick nature of its redesign into a stone structure was no doubt due to its strategic position on the coast, as well as it being halfway between London and Normandy, and so it was an essential line of communication for William and the Normans.

Even after William's demise, Pevensey Castle continued to be an important strategic location.

William's youngest son, King Henry I based himself there in the summer of 1101 when he was preparing his defence against an expected attack from his elder brother, Robert Curthose, who was the Duke of Normandy.

The attack never came at Pevensey, Robert Curthose actually landed further up the coast at Portsmouth.

But regardless of that, Pevensey Castle was once again briefly integral to Norman warfare.

Right, let's have another check for understanding now.

So what kind of reaction did the Normans wish to achieve from the Anglo-Saxons through the erection of castles? Did they hope to anger them? Did they hope to intimidate them? Or did they hope to please them? Make your choice now.

Okay, if you chose B, then well done.

That's the correct answer.

And another check for understanding now.

It's a true or false statement.

Pevensey was considered by the Normans to be an important strategic location.

Is that true or is that false? Make your choice now.

Okay, if you chose true, then well done.

That's the correct answer.

In terms of why it's true, well, Sussex was located between London and Normandy, meaning that Pevensey Castle was an important halfway point between William's two holdings.

Right, let's go for our next task now.

So I'd like to read the interpretation below, which is from Sophia, and she says, "Pevensey Castle was more important as an administrative centre than as a garrison." And I'd like you to think, to what extent do you agree with this interpretation? The way I want you to answer this, I'd like you to use evidence to support both arguments.

So what arguments are they to say that it was an important administrative centre? What arguments are they to say it's an important garrison? Once you've done that, I then want you to explain what your own opinion is.

So pause the video whilst you do this task, and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hope you got on okay with that task.

Let's think of what you could have said then.

So you could have said that there is evidence to suggest that Sophia's interpretation is correct.

England was a rich country, and Sussex was a rich county within it, so Pevensey Castle needed to be a secure location from which to collect and secure the taxes from its rape.

Pevensey was also never the site of an Anglo-Saxon rebellion, so it can be argued that its garrison and soldiers were never needed.

However, there are counter-arguments to Sophia's interpretation.

The reason Pevensey never saw an Anglo-Saxon rebellion may well have been because the castle was such a strong garrison.

Sussex was part of the power base of the previous king, Harold Godwinson.

So there's reason to believe that the people of Pevensey would've rebelled against the Normans if the opportunity presented itself.

Similarly, King Henry I chose to base himself there in the summer of 1101 when he was preparing his defence against his elder brother, Robert Curthose.

Overall, I disagree with Sophia's interpretation.

Pevensey Castle was an important strategic location that William needed to keep well defended against possible invasion and to secure his line of communication between London and Normandy.

The importance of Pevensey Castle extended beyond being an administrative centre for its own rape.

Now, if you have a different opinion to me, that's absolutely fine.

It genuinely doesn't matter what your opinion is.

What matters is that you could support your opinion with evidence and you can fully explain how the evidence backs up what you are saying.

So as long as you've done that and you provided evidence of both sides of the argument to show that you understand both sides, that's a fantastic answer.

Well, let's summarise today's lesson now then.

So, Pevensey Castle was the administrative centre for the important rape of Pevensey.

Pevensey was the largest rape in Sussex and continued to be an important location even after the death of William The Conqueror.

Pevensey castle, like other Norman Castles across the country, was garrisoned by a small contingent of Norman soldiers.

Norman Castles were designed to intimidate the Anglo-Saxons into obedience.

With its additional Roman walls, Pevensey Castle would've appeared more intimidating than most.

Pevensey occupied an important strategic location, roughly halfway between London and Normandy.

Thank you very much for joining me today.

Hopefully you've enjoyed yourself.

Hopefully you've learnt something, and hopefully I'll see you again next time.

Bye-Bye.