Hi there, I'm Mr. Roberts, and thanks for joining me for today's history lesson where my job will be to guide you through our history resources.

I'll be making sure that by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to securely meet our lesson objective.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe London before the Norman Conquest.

There are three key terms which we need to make sure we're comfortable with before embarking on our learning journey today.

Trade refers to the exchange of goods.

An abbey is a building housing monks or nuns.

And a cathedral is the seat of a bishop and a very large usually stone building used for Christian worship.

Our lesson on London before the Norman Conquest is separated into three phases, and the first part revolves around Roman London.

Roman London, known as Londinium, was founded around 43 CE during the Roman invasion of Britain.

Londinium quickly grew into a bustling commercial hub due to its location on the River Thames.

The river provided an ideal route for trade and transportation, linking the city to the rest of the Roman Empire.

By the end of the 1st century, Londinium had become one of the most important cities in Roman Britain.

Londinium had the typical grid pattern of streets of a Roman town, and it featured impressive public buildings, including a basilica, or town hall, a forum, or marketplace, and several bath houses.

The basilica may have been located in Tower Hill, the area now surrounding the Tower of London.

Before we move on, it's time for a brief learning check to ensure we're securing some key information.

I'd like you now to complete the sentence on the screen using the name of a geographical feature.

Pause the video while you have a think and then press play when you are ready for the answer to be revealed.

Welcome back, and well done if your sentence sounds like this.

Roman London, or Londinium, was founded around 43 CE and grew into a commercial hub due to the River Thames, which provided trade and transportation, linking the city to the rest of the Roman Empire.

Now let's try another one.

Complete this sentence using your learning so far.

Pause the video once again and press play when you are ready for the correct answer.

Hello again, and well done if you identified the missing words here as public buildings, so that your sentence now reads: Londinium had many public buildings, including a basilica, a forum, and several bathhouses.

One of the most significant structures was the London Wall, a defensive fortification built in the late second or early third century to protect the city from invasions.

The wall was truly impressive, around two miles long, enclosing an area of around 330 acres, up to three metres thick, and as much as six metres high.

A two-meter-deep ditch outside the wall added to its defensive strength, together with 22 towers.

Next, I'd like you to attempt the following true or false question.

True or false? Roman Londinium had weak defences.

Pause the video while you come to a decision on what you think is the correct answer, and then press play to continue.

Welcome back, and well done if you said the answer is false.

Now I'd like you to think about why the answer is false based upon what we've just been learning about.

Once again, pause the video while you do this and then press play when you are ready for the justification to be revealed.

Hello again, and well done if you said that actually Roman Londinium had good defences as it was fortified by the London Wall, a two-mile-long structure built to defend the city from invaders.

There was also a two-meter-deep ditch on the outside for added protection.

Londinium's population during its peak in the 2nd and 3rd centuries was estimated to be between 30,000 and 60,000 inhabitants.

This diverse population included Romans, Britons, and people from different parts of the Roman Empire.

The city's economy thrived on trade, with goods such as pottery, glass, wine, and olive oil being imported from the continent, while Britain exported grain, metals, and enslaved people.

Despite its economic successes, Londinium faced several challenges, including fires, plagues, and attacks.

The London Wall may have been constructed following invasions in the north of Roman Britain from Picts in the early 2nd century.

Around 410 CE, Roman troops were withdrawn from Britain due to conflict and threats within other parts of the Roman Empire, and this was the beginning of a period of decline for Londinium.

By the 5th century, Londinium had been abandoned.

Next, for our first written task, I'd like you to describe Roman London, or Londinium, using your learning so far.

Pause the video while you complete this task and then press play when you're done and are ready for some feedback in the form of a model answer.

Welcome back.

I asked you to describe Roman London, or Londinium, using your learning so far.

It's worth mentioning at this point that everyone will have written something slightly different in their answer to this task, but well done if you managed to include any of the following in your answer.

Roman London, known as Londinium, was founded around 43 CE and quickly became a bustling commercial hub due to its strategic location on the River Thames, which facilitated trade and transportation with the Roman Empire.

By the end of the 1st century, it had become one of Roman Britain's most important cities, featuring a typical Roman grid pattern of streets and impressive public buildings such as a basilica, forum, and bathhouses.

Londinium was well defended, as the London Wall, built in the late second or early third century, was about two miles long, up to three metres thick, and six metres high, and enhanced by a two-meter-deep ditch and 22 towers for added defence against attacks by land.

Really well done there.

And with that task done, we're ready to move on to the second part of our lesson today on London before the Norman Conquest, where we'll be learning about London and trade in Anglo-Saxon England.

By the 7th century, or the 600s CE, an Anglo-Saxon settlement called Lundenwic had developed as a port on the River Thames.

Lundenwic was situated slightly west of the old Roman city near what is now Covent Garden.

Archaeological evidence suggests that Lundenwic was a busy market town with extensive trading links across Europe.

Goods such as pottery, cloth, and metalwork were traded, and foreign merchants, including Friesians, Scandinavians, and Francs had businesses in the town.

In the late 9th century, or the 800s CE, Viking invasions became a significant threat to the region.

In response, King Alfred the Great reestablished the Roman city as a burh, an Anglo-Saxon fortified settlement, in 886.

This re-fortification included repairs to the Roman walls and the re-digging of the defensive ditch.

This Anglo-Saxon settlement, now safely back inside the London Wall, was called Lundenburg.

Let's try another true or false question now.

True or false? Londinium remained abandoned during the entire Anglo-Saxon period.

Pause the video while you decide on the correct answer, and then press play when you are ready for the answer to be revealed.

Welcome back, and well done if you identified the correct answer as false.

Now I'd like you to pause the video and consider why this statement is false and press play to resume our lesson.

Hello again, and well done if you were correctly able to recall that Roman Londinium was abandoned by the 5th century, but a new Anglo-Saxon settlement developed, known as Lundenwic.

In response to Viking attacks, the settlement moved back inside the walls, which were reinforced by Alfred the Great, who called the city Lundenburg.

Trade continued to be a central aspect of London's economy during the Anglo-Saxon period.

The city's market attracted merchants from various regions, contributing to its wealth and diversity.

The river remained a crucial artery for commerce, facilitating the exchange of goods such as wool, furs, metals, and wine.

London's position as a trading hub was further enhanced by its role in the minting of coins.

Anglo-Saxon London had several mints producing high-quality silver pennies with a carefully regulated amount of silver in each coin in order to maintain its value.

Next, I'd like you to have a go at the multiple choice question on the screen.

Which three of the options was Anglo-Saxon London well-known for? A, castles; B, coin minting; C, diversity; or D, trade? Pause the video while you pick the correct three answers and then press play when you are ready to check the accuracy of your selections.

Welcome back, and well done if you selected B, C, and D.

Anglo-Saxon London was well known for coin minting, diversity, and trade.

Christianity also played a significant role in shaping the city's identity with the establishment of churches and monasteries throughout the city.

In the 7th century, a monk named Mellitus, who had been sent by Rome to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity, was appointed as the first ever Bishop of London.

A cathedral dedicated to St.

Paul was built for Mellitus.

This first St.

Paul's Cathedral may have been replaced in the late 7th century, or it may have been the one that was burned along with most of Norman London in a fire in 1087.

Now let's try another multiple choice question to check that we're retaining key information as we move forward with our learning.

What do historians think might have happened to Mellitus' original St.

Paul's Cathedral? Select two answers from A, did it likely burn down in the Great Fire of London in 1666? B, was it likely replaced in the late 7th century? C, was it likely destroyed by William the Conqueror in the 1070s? Or D, did it likely burn, along with most of London, in a fire in 1087? Pause this video while you pick two answers out of the four on your screen and then press play when you're ready for the answers to be revealed.

Welcome back, and well done if you said that historians believe that Mellitus' original St.

Paul's Cathedral was probably replaced in the 7th century or burned down along with most of London in a fire in 1087.

And for our second written task today, I would like you, using your learning so far, to explain how trade continued to be important to London's economy during the Anglo-Saxon period.

Try to include three pieces of evidence in your answer if you can.

Pause the video while you complete this task and then press play for some feedback once again in the form of a model answer.

Welcome back.

I asked you to explain how trade continued to be an important part of London's economy during the Anglo-Saxon period.

Once again, everyone's answer will look slightly different, but well done if your answer looked anything like this.

Trade continued to be important to London's economy during the Anglo-Saxon period in numerous ways.

For example, the city's market attracted merchants from various regions, contributing to its wealth and diversity.

Furthermore, the River Thames remained a crucial artery for commerce, facilitating the exchange of goods such as wool, furs, metals, and wine.

Additionally, Anglo-Saxon London had several mints producing high-quality silver pennies.

Next, I'd like you to explain how religion played a significant role in shaping London's identity during the Anglo-Saxon period.

Once again, if you can, try to include three pieces of evidence in your answer.

Pause the video while you complete this task and then press play when you're ready for a model answer with which you can compare what you have written.

Hello again.

And well done if you managed to include any of the following.

Religion played a significant role in shaping London's identity during the Anglo-Saxon period in numerous ways, for example, through the establishment of churches and monasteries throughout the city.

Furthermore, in the 7th century, a monk named Mellitus, who had been sent by Rome to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity, was appointed as the first ever Bishop of London.

Additionally, a cathedral dedicated to St.

Paul was built for Mellitus in the city.

Well done once again.

And now with that learning phase complete, we can move on to the final part of the lesson today, where we'll be examining London during the reign of Edward the Confessor.

By the time Edward the Confessor ascended to the throne in 1042, London was again one of the most important cities in England.

Winchester at this time though was the capital, having also been the capital of the Kingdom of Wessex, an incredibly important Anglo-Saxon kingdom before the unification of those into England.

Let's just check that now.

True or false? London was the capital city of England in the 11th century.

Pause the video while you come to a decision on the correct answer, and then press play for the answer to be revealed.

Welcome back, and well done if you said that it's false to say that London was the capital city of England in the 11th century.

Now I'd like you to pause the video again while you consider why this statement is false based on what you've learned so far.

Press play when you are ready for a suggested answer.

Hello again, and well done if you recalled that although London was an important city at this time in terms of religion, trade, and government, Winchester remained the capital city of England.

Edward the Confessor, known for his piety, or religious devotion, played a crucial role in shaping the religious landscape of London, in particular, the construction of Westminster Abbey.

There have been a monastery in this location west of the city called St.

Peter's Abbey since the time of Mellitus, and this abbey is what King Edward rebuilt as London's Westminster to distinguish it from the Eastminster of St.

Paul's Cathedral.

The king also built his royal palace in Westminster, probably on the site of a palace used by King Canute.

Now I'd like you to complete the sentence on the screen, using the name of a religious building we've been learning about.

Pause the video while you do this, and then press play when you are ready for the answer to be revealed.

Welcome back, and well done if your sentence looks like this.

Edward the Confessor had close ties to Westminster, building Westminster Abbey there by 1065.

Edward had close connections to Normandy.

For example, his mother Emma was a Norman, and he is thought to have lived in Normandy in exile for around 25 years before becoming king of England.

Once in power, Edward kept Norman advisors and appointed a Norman, Robert of Jumieges, as first Bishop of London, and then in 1051 as his Archbishop of Canterbury.

Robert was influential in the design of Westminster Abbey, which meant that the abbey was the first building in England to be built in the Normans' favourite Romanesque style.

Next, have a go at the following multiple choice question.

What architectural style was the favourite of the Normans? A, Romanian; B, romantic; or C, Romanesque? Pause the video while you come to a decision on the correct answer and then press play when you are ready for the answer to be revealed.

Welcome back, and well done if you identified that C, Romanesque, was the name of the Normans' favourite style of architecture.

Politically, London became increasingly important during Edward the Confessor's reign.

The city served as a focal point for royal administration and governance.

Although like all early mediaeval monarchs, Edward travelled around his kingdom rather than ruling from any one city all the time.

Edward's Court was often based in London though and his development of Westminster shows how closely religion and government were linked.

And for our final written task today, I'd like you to consider the following statement: the construction of Westminster Abbey by Edward the Confessor increased the importance of London in relation to Winchester.

Write one paragraph to agree with this view using evidence from this lesson to support your answer.

Pause the video while you complete this written task and then press play for some feedback once again in the form of a model answer.

Hello again, and well done if you managed to include any of the following.

The construction of Westminster Abbey by Edward the Confessor significantly increased London's importance over Winchester.

For instance, by rebuilding St.

Peter's Abbey as Westminster Abbey and establishing his royal palace nearby, Edward shifted the focus of royal and religious activity to London.

The Abbey, built in the Romanesque style, symbolised the city's rising significance.

This development made London a central hub for royal administration and governance, intertwining religious and political life, and thus enhancing its prominence over Winchester, the traditional capital of England.

Really well done there.

With that task complete, we've arrived at the end of our lesson today.

All that's left for us to do is to summarise our key learning points, and it would be great if you could remember these going forward.

Firstly, Londinium was a key city in Roman Britain.

It was defended by the London Wall, two miles long and up to six metres high.

Secondly, by the 5th century, London had been abandoned following the end of Roman occupation, but by 886 it had been reestablished under Anglo-Saxon rule as a burh.

And lastly, London grew in importance so that by the 11th century it rivalled Winchester as a centre of trade, religion, and government and was where King Edward the Confessor chose to build Westminster Abbey, which was completed by 1065.

Thank you so much for joining me for our lesson today.

It's been a real pleasure to guide you through our history learning resources, and I very much look forward to seeing you again in the future where we'll be looking at London and the events of 1066.