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Year 10
AQA

Normans and Pevensey Castle

I can describe how the Normans made use of Pevensey Castle.

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Year 10
AQA

Normans and Pevensey Castle

I can describe how the Normans made use of Pevensey Castle.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Pevensey Castle played an important role in the Norman Conquest.
  2. Pevensey Castle continued to play an important role during the Norman occupation of England.
  3. The economy of Sussex was boosted by the arrival of the Normans.
  4. The town of Pevensey grew to be a significant urban centre.

Keywords

  • Castle - a defensive structure which is also designed to be a place of permanent residence

  • Economic - relating to the organisation of money, industry and trade of a country or region

Common misconception

Castles built by the Normans were designed to intimidate the local Anglo-Saxons and provided no benefit for them.

One of the primary functions of castles was to intimidate the local population, but castles also frequently drew people to them and created an urban centre, which boosted the local economy.


To help you plan your year 10 history lesson on: Normans and Pevensey Castle, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

For the final task, help students organise their thoughts by having them create mindmaps of each of the consequences of the Norman Conquest for Pevensey. Add evidence for each consequence to each mindmap. Students can then highlight the strongest two or three pieces of evidence for each consequence.
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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.
A is a military tactic of surrounding a settlement or fortification in order to cut off supplies and weaken troops?
Correct Answer: siege, Siege
Q2.
William the Conqueror died on 9th September, in what year?
Correct Answer: 1087
Q3.
William granted the Duchy of Normandy to...
Correct answer: Robert Curthose
Wlliam Rufus
Henry Beauclerc
Q4.
Which of William I's sons clashed over their inheritance?
Correct answer: Robert Curthose and William Rufus
Robert Curthose and Henry Beauclerc
William Rufus and Henry Beauclerc
Q5.
William Rufus promised some of the nobles who rebelled against him an increase in their and wealth if they supported him.
Correct Answer: lands, land
Q6.
Put the following events in the correct chronological order:
1 - William Conqueror dies and details his succession.
2 - Many Norman landholders declared support for Robert Curthose.
3 - Odo and Robert, Count of Mortain, secured Pevensey Castle.
4 - William Rufus made promises to nobles and improved his position.
5 - Roger of Montgomery and Robert, Count of Eu deserted Robert Curthose's cause.
6 - Poor weather prevented Robert Curthose’s army from arriving in England.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Why did William the Conqueror choose Pevensey as his landing site on 28th September 1066?
It was close to London.
It was surrounded by forests.
Correct answer: It had excellent natural and human-made defensive properties.
It was the largest city in England.
Q2.
What defensive structure did William the Conqueror build at Pevensey on the first day of occupation?
A stone keep
Correct answer: A wooden motte-and-bailey castle
A large moat
A drawbridge
Q3.
Who was entrusted with Pevensey Castle and the surrounding area after William the Conqueror became king?
Correct answer: Robert, Count of Mortain
Bishop Odo of Bayeux
King Harold II
William II Rufus
Q4.
Why did the Anglo-Saxons likely not rebel against the Normans in Pevensey?
They were outnumbered.
They had no weapons.
Correct answer: The Norman castle inside the Roman fort was intimidating.
The Normans treated them well.
Q5.
What significant event occurred at Pevensey Castle during the Rebellion of 1088?
It was captured by Anglo-Saxons.
Correct answer: It was besieged for six weeks.
It was completely destroyed.
It was abandoned by the Normans.
Q6.
The economic boost provided by the Normans to the area around Pevensey Castle was mainly due to collection and the growth of the local settlement.
Correct Answer: tax, Tax

Additional material

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