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Year 10
AQA

The king and the bishops of Durham

I can explain the relationship between Norman kings and the bishops of Durham.

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New
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Year 10
AQA

The king and the bishops of Durham

I can explain the relationship between Norman kings and the bishops of Durham.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. William II was more willing to go against the Church and removed William St Calais and Bishop of Durham.
  2. William II and Flambard reveal how the relationship between the Church and monarchy could be used for power and money.
  3. Henry I imprisoned Ranulf Flambard in the Tower of London for embezzlement.
  4. Flambard escaped and joined Robert Curthose's invasion of England.
  5. Flambard was restored as bishop and is buried in Durham Cathedral's chapter house alongside William Saint-Calais.

Keywords

  • Embezzlement - the crime of secretly taking money that is in your care or that belongs to an organisation or business you work for

  • Bishopric - an area for which one bishop is directly responsible

Common misconception

Once a bishop is removed or exiled, they are effectively cancelled from the English nobility forever.

In fact, William Saint Calais and Ranulf Flambard were both restored to their bishoprics after being removed.


To help you plan your year 10 history lesson on: The king and the bishops of Durham, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Church vs. Monarchy Debate: Split the class into two groups to debate the power struggle between the Church and the monarchy. One group supports William II, the other supports the Church.
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Adult supervision recommended

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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which word describes a covered walkway enclosing a large open courtyard, found in a religious building?
Correct Answer: cloister, cloisters
Q2.
Which word describes the chapel in which a shrine is located?
Correct Answer: feretory
Q3.
Why did the Norman reformers replace the Anglo-Saxon clergy with monks from Jarrow monastery at Durham Cathedral?
To increase the number of secular clergy who could manage financial affairs
Correct answer: To ensure the clergy were celibate and lived a monastic lifestyle
To allow bishops to be free to marry and have children
To install clergy who were willing to accept donations from pilgrims
Q4.
What was the primary purpose of the black line inlaid into the floor of the Galilee Chapel?
Correct answer: To designate the area where only women were allowed to enter
To mark the boundary where the monks' chants could be heard more clearly
To separate the shrine of St Cuthbert from the rest of the cathedral
To indicate the area where pilgrims were required to make a donation
Q5.
Match the following descriptions with the correct features or individuals related to Durham Cathedral.
Correct Answer:Chapel of the Nine Altars,Built in the 13th century at the cathedral’s east end
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Built in the 13th century at the cathedral’s east end

Correct Answer:St Cuthbert's shrine,Lavishly decorated shrine built with green marble and gold
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Lavishly decorated shrine built with green marble and gold

Correct Answer:William of Saint Calais,Appointed as Bishop of Durham after Walcher’s murder in 1080
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Appointed as Bishop of Durham after Walcher’s murder in 1080

Correct Answer:Cathedral staff,Accepted donations, assisted with prayers and guided pilgrims
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Accepted donations, assisted with prayers and guided pilgrims

Q6.
Which practices were associated with the shrine of St Cuthbert at Durham Cathedral?
Pilgrims could touch the relics directly as they approached the shrine
Correct answer: Gifts and offerings were displayed around the shrine
Correct answer: Pilgrims followed a set path to view the shrine and were guided by staff
Pilgrims were allowed to spend the night next to the shrine

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which word describes the crime of secretly taking money that is in your care or that belongs to an organisation or business you work for?
Correct Answer: embezzlement, embezzling
Q2.
Complete the sentence: Ranulf Flambard managed many abbeys and , however, he was unpopular with the clergy.
Correct Answer: bishoprics, bishopric
Q3.
Why did William II's trial of Bishop William of Saint-Calais increase tensions between the Church and the monarchy?
The trial was conducted in a Church court, contrary to the king’s wishes.
Correct answer: The trial was held in a secular court, which Pope Urban II disapproved of.
The Bishop of Saint-Calais was found innocent and reinstated immediately.
The king appointed a new Archbishop of Canterbury during the trial.
Q4.
Which action by William II demonstrated his control over the Church?
He appointed a new Archbishop of Canterbury immediately after Lanfranc’s death.
He personally oversaw the trial of the Bishop of Saint-Calais in a Church court.
Correct answer: He delayed appointing new bishops to benefit financially from vacant estates.
He constructed a new cathedral in Durham despite the pope's objections.
Q5.
How did Ranulf Flambard manage to escape from the Tower of London?
He bribed his guards to let him out secretly.
He disguised himself as a guard and walked out during a shift change.
He was freed by a group of loyal knights who stormed the tower.
Correct answer: He used a rope smuggled in wine to climb down the tower wall.
Q6.
Put the following events in chronological order.
1 - William II was killed in a hunting accident in the New Forest
2 - Henry I quickly claimed the throne
3 - Henry I imprisoned Flambard in the Tower of London
4 - Flambard became the first inmate and the first escapee of the Tower
5 - Flambard became an advisor to Henry's brother, Robert Curthose
6 - Flambard was found guilty of simony
7 - Flambard was pardoned

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