New
New
Year 10
AQA

The Harrying of the North, 1069-70

I can describe the features of the Harrying of the North and explain its causes and impacts.

New
New
Year 10
AQA

The Harrying of the North, 1069-70

I can describe the features of the Harrying of the North and explain its causes and impacts.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. William’s control of the North was threatened by rebellions.
  2. William aimed to destroy the spirit of rebellion and ensure that no future rebellion could support itself in the North.
  3. Norman soldiers systematically killed rebels and destroyed food across Yorkshire – later known as ‘Harrying the North’.
  4. The resulting famine caused as many as 100 000 people to vanish from the records.
  5. There were no further uprisings in the North, but William was criticised for excessive brutality.

Common misconception

In the medieval period it was expected that rulers would be ruthless in killing anyone who opposed them.

Rulers were expected to be just and merciful in the medieval period, and Willian faced criticism across Europe for his brutality in crushing opposition in the North of England.

Keywords

  • Systematically - when something is done systematically it is done in a way that is done according to an agreed set of methods or organised plan

  • Scorched-earth - a scorched-earth policy is the act of an army destroying everything in an area such as food, buildings, or equipment that could be useful to an enemy

  • Famine - a famine is a situation in which there is not enough food for a great number of people, causing illness and death, or a particular period when this happens

  • Refugee - a refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution or natural disaster

Compare other instances of William's harrying with the Harrying of the North: what was different in 1069-70 compared with William's actions on arriving the south in 1066 and compared with his march around London?
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
The Anglo-Saxon earls Edwin and Morcar had not fought at the Battle of Hastings and William had allowed them to keep their...
Correct Answer: earldoms, land, lands
Q2.
William appointed Robert Cumin as Earl of...
Correct Answer: Northumbria, northumbria
Q3.
During the uprising in January 1069, rebels attacked...
Ely
Peterborough
Correct answer: York
Lincoln
Correct answer: Durham
Q4.
Hereward the Wake organised his rebellion against the Normans from...
Correct Answer: Ely, ely
Q5.
Who supported Roger de Breteuil and Ralph de Fael's rebellion in 1075?
Correct answer: Bishop Odo
Ewin
Morcar
Edgar the Atheling
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, put the following uprisings in chronological order.
1 - Edwin and Morcar's rebellion
2 - The northern rebellion focused on Durham and York
3 - Hereward the Wake's uprising in Ely
4 - The Revolt of the Anglo-Norman earls

6 Questions

Q1.
In England, the period 1068-71 was...
one of constant peace.
Correct answer: characterised by repeated uprisings against William I.
only rarely punctuated by rebellion.
Q2.
Which of these individuals supported the northern rebellion of 1069?
Correct answer: Edgar the Aethling
Correct answer: The Danish king, Swein Estrithson
Edwin
Correct answer: the Scottish king
Morcar
Q3.
William's response to the rebellion of 1069 has been called the ' of the North'.
Correct Answer: Harrying, harrying
Q4.
During the winter of 1069-70, the region north of the Humber (from York to ) had its life support stripped away.
Correct Answer: Durham, durham
Q5.
The Harrying of the North caused a devastating famine; more than __________ people perished of starvation.
Correct answer: 100 000
200 000
300 000
400 000
Q6.
After the Harrying of the North, the value of land in Yorkshire decreased by over...
35%
45%
55%
Correct answer: 65%

Additional material

Download additional material
We're sorry, but preview is not currently available. Download to see additional material.