Anglo Saxon Landscapes at the Time of the Norman Conquest

The introduction of the Normans in the second half of the eleventh century irreparably transformed The Anglo-Saxon lifestyle. At the time of the conquest, the Normans surpassed the Anglo-Saxons in building design and cultivation. But before focusing on home-life or having the occasion to think about domestic architecture or decoration, the Normans had to subjugate an entire society. Monasteries and castles served different functions, so while monasteries were massive stone structures constructed in only the most fruitful, wide dales, castles were set upon blustery knolls where the residents focused on learning offensive and defensive tactics. Gardening, a quiet occupation, was unfeasible in these unproductive fortifications. The purest specimen of the early Anglo-Norman style of architecture existent in modern times is Berkeley Castle. The keep is said to date from William the Conqueror's time. An enormous terrace encompasses the building, serving as an obstacle to attackers intending to excavate under the castle walls. On one of these terraces our website lies a quaint bowling green: it's coated in grass and flanked by an old yew hedge that is created into the shape of rough ramparts.