1066 -Start of Medieval England

Many historians view 1066 as the start of Medieval England..At the start of 1066, England was ruled by  Edward the Confessor. By the end of the year, a Norman - William the Conqueror - was king after defeating Edward's successor, Harold, at the Battle of Hastings.

 

 

By day 5 (2/10/1066)





Pewter Hand Painted Foot Soldier click for more info.

 

More than half the population of Pevensey were killed or fled. Elfalm, the Saxon lord of the village of Catsfield, was lucky to escape with his life when marauding Normans devastated his manor house.

 

The first to suffer were the people of Pevensey which, until five days ago, was a peaceful fishing port and market town.

 



30-09-1066 3rd. Day of the Invation of Britain.

Foraging is recognised as normal practice in warfare. English troops, as well as Norman, take food from farmers to feed themselves. However, it has been pointed out that, when William of Normandy banned foraging there to keep the support of local people. when he mustered his troops on the other side of the Channel, however in England, he does not seem to mind alienating the people he claims as his new subjects.

“Atrocities have been report across a large swathe of East Sussex - though the Normans claim they are merely foraging. Many of the Norman soldiers had brought inadequate rations with them from Normandy”..

 

“Numerous incidents of looting, rape and murder are being reported. Anything the pillagers cannot carry, they vandalise. Houses are burned down. Livestock are slaughtered and grainstores destroyed. Many Saxons have fled. Those who remain behind face starvation in the coming winter. Resistance is futile and the people of East Sussex face the stark choice between the precarious life of a refugee and death. Many villages will take generations to recover. But the harrying of the people of East Sussex is more than just the thoughtless action of marauding soldiers. It is a deliberate policy, sanctioned by William himself. King Harold is also Earl of Wessex and Sussex has been part of Wessex since 825. By attacking his people, William is goading Harold in action”.

 

Footnote. Remember this is 1066 but could be so easily mistaken for 30-09-2013 in one of the emerging countries.

28 September 1066 -- Norman Conquest Starts

All summer, the English have feared an invasion, particularly in the Hastings/Pevensey area. But by 8 September it was thought that the beginning of the Autumn gales ruled out any seaborne attack. The English fleet was dispersed and the army disbanded.

The Norman force is supported by ships and men from Brittany, Flanders, Maine, Bologne and other parts of France. It formed up at Dives-sur-Mer, not far from Caen, in August, but had to wait several weeks for a favourable wind. On 12 September, the wind turned more westerly and the fleet set sail as far as St-Valéry-sur-Somme. It was only on the 27th that the wind turned south and the fleet could set sail across the Channel.

A massive invasion force under William, Duke of Normandy, landed at Pevensey,(28/09/1066)  unopposed. Although an invasion has been feared for some time, the townspeople were unprepared when, shortly after dawn, some 700 ships hove into view. William's ship, the Mora, entered the tiny harbour, but the Norman armada was so large that most of the ships beached in the lagoon or to the east of the town.

Click to view more details

Few expected such a seasoned campaigner as William of Normandy to risk a Channel crossing so late in the season. One squall, one encounter with English ships, and his force would have been dispersed. As it was, he lost only two ships. One, possibly both of them, made it to England but landed at Romney, far from the beachhead at Pevensey and were quickly despatched by locals.

Would Henry Tudor Turn In His Grave?

 Ludlow Castle's site goes back to post the Norman invasion in 1066 and was remodelled from a Norman Frontier Fortress extended over the centuries to become a fortified Royal Palace with responsibility for the Government of Wales and the border counties.

Henry Tudor (Henry VII) lived there for a while with his Uncle Jasper Tudor, as have other monarchs. Elder son of Henry Tudor, brother of Henry V111, Prince Arthur died at Ludlow Castle on April 2nd, 1502..
 

Abandoned in 1689 the castle quickly fell into ruin.

 

 

 

Today the Castle houses Ludlow's major festivals throughout the year and is open for all to enjoy. The funds raised have stopped the further decline of the surviving structures and is slowly being repaired.

 

This week has seen the “Ludlow Food Festival” open to all local farmers and related industries. Come rain or shine it's not to be missed.

 

Unfortunately we were too busy enjoying it to take decent snaps but here is a flavour.

 Most rooms of the castle had gazebos with an event, an activity or product on display

 

In fact, even the moat had a tea room and activity going on in it. There really was no space left for more stalls.

 

 

There were Talks and Demos through out the three days and a chance to meet some of the UK's best chefs 

 

 

 

 Large marquees in the grounds with hundreds of stalls catering for every taste - all well priced, all with food sampling.

 

Its been the first such festival that I have actually said "No thanks, I have no more room."

 

 

 

 

Well worth a visit and if staying in the area  Stokesay Castle a fortified medieval manor house is just down the road "a country mile" or two away.

13.How will histoy view this repost?

At the G20 summit in St Petersburg, 2013 things got a little less than diplomatic.

David Cameron has issued an impassioned paean to Britain's achievements after a Russian official reportedly dismissed it as a "small island" whose views could be ignored.


In a lavishly patriotic riposte at the end of the G20 summit in St Petersburg, the Prime Minister said the UK had not only helped abolish slavery and settle the Second World War, but "invented most of the things worth inventing".

He signed off by adding: "I'm thinking of setting this to music."
The comments, initially delivered verbally to reporters before being posted online, were immediately compared to a scene from hit film Love Actually, in which Hugh Grant's prime minister interrupts the US president to say: "We may be a small country but we're a great one, too."

Downing Street demanded "clarification" from the Kremlin after a spokesman was reported to have dismissed the UK as "just a small island, no-one pays any attention to them".
Mr Cameron noted that Mr Putin's chief spokesman Dmitry Peskov had denied making the remark. But he went on: "Britain may be a small island, but I would challenge anyone to find a country with a prouder history, a bigger heart or greater resilience.

"Britain is an island that has helped to clear the European continent of fascism - and was resolute in doing that throughout World War Two. Britain is an island that helped to abolish slavery, that has invented most of the things worth inventing, including every sport currently played around the world, that still today is responsible for art, literature and music that delights the entire world.

"We are very proud of everything we do as a small island - a small island that has the sixth-largest economy, the fourth best-funded military, some of the most effective diplomats, the proudest history, one of the best records for art and literature and contribution to philosophy and world civilisation.

"For the people who live in Northern Ireland, I should say we are not just an island, we are a collection of islands. I don't want anyone in Shetland or Orkney to feel left out by this. I'm thinking of setting this to music..."

12. Men at Arms

The term man-at-arms primarily denoted a military function, rather than a social rank. The military function that a man-at-arms performed was serving as a fully armoured heavy cavalryman; though he could, and in English armies often did, also fight on foot. The man-at-arms could be a wealthy mercenary of any social origins, but more often had some level of social rank based on income, usually from land.
The terms knight and man-at-arms are often used interchangeably, but while all knights certainly were men-at-arms, not all men-at-arms were knights.

Ancestors Range
Click to seefull range

Pewter Medieval Knight (on Horseback 13C) Suit of Armour # 7658

Pewter Medieval C15th. Knight with Pennant 4.25ins. Ancestors # 7706
Click for More Detail

Pewter Medieval C16th. Mounted Knight 4.25ins Ancestors # 7689
 Click for More Detail

11. The White Queen

Of late the BBC has churned out some fascinating historically based programs.

The White Queen has been one such series not to be missed.  I must admit I watch the actual program when in the bath, the joy of having an iPad, provided one does not drop in. I have often had to find time to look up some of the protagonists or events in WikapediA and enjoyed the quest to delve deeper. What I can't believe is the distances covered and speed of troop movements.



English Medieval Ship ''Thomas''
Click on the Image for more detail

 

For the enthusiastic modeller we can offer this model as seen on a number of occasions during the series. The Mayflower would also be a slightly later example of vessels used.