The
Battle of Hastings:
A comprehensive website on the Battle of Hastings that with the right
backup material could be used successfully in the classroom. The website
consists of 850,000 words and 300 graphics. There is no search-engine
but the material is well organised under headings such as: Kings of
Wessex and England, Where is 1066 Country, Why did the Battle Happen?,
The Build up to the Battle, Harold's Battle Force, William's Battle
Force, The Battle, The Aftermath, Norman Rule After 1066, etc. The
author has also provided a comprehensive glossary of words and people.
Battle
of Hastings: On
1st October 1066 King Harold was celebrating his victory over King
Hardrada at a banquet in York when he heard that William, Duke of
Normandy had landed at Pevensey Bay. King Harold immediately assembled
those housecarls who had survived Stamford
Bridge and
marched south. When Harold realised he was unable to take William
by surprise he positioned himself at Senlac Hill near Hastings. On
14th October 1066, Harold II's army fought on foot against the attacks
of Norman cavalry and infantry. After a long struggle, lasting for
most of the day, Harold was killed and the Normans were victorious.
This online activity involves the students looking at the various
accounts we have of the battle.
The
Medieval World:
An organic
encyclopedia on Britain in the Middle Ages. Each
entry contains a narrative, illustrations and primary sources. The
text within each entry is hypertexted to other relevant pages in the
encyclopedia. In this way it is possible to research individual people
and events in great detail. So far there are sections on Anglo
Saxons, Normans, Medieval Warfare, Medieval Farming, Monarchs and
Medieval Literature.
Battle
of Fulford: This battle on 20th September, 1066, on the outskirts
of York, has been overshadowed by the other great battles of 1066
at Stamford Bridge and Hastings. This website has been created to
gather, assemble and then disseminate information about this neglected
battle at Fulford. All the written and physical evidence for the location
and the course of the battle are explored in the evidence section.
The website provides a seven maps sequence on the course of the battle.
The
Domesday Book is a record of England at a turning point in its
history, and it is the oldest surviving government record. This Public
Record Office activity is intended for upper primary and lower secondary
students to use, either unassisted at home, or under the direction
of their teacher at school. Students can discover the story behind
it, investigate how it was made and look at it in great detail. The
website also includes a comprehensive glossary.
Thomas
Becket and Henry II: In a
letter written by Thomas Becket in 1166 he argued: "There are
two principles by which the world is ruled: the authority of priests
and the royal power. The authority of priests is the greater because
God will demand an accounting of them even in regard to kings."
Henry II disagreed and their conflict led to the death of Becket in
1170. This collection of differentiated lessons looks at the conflict
between two of the most interesting figures in British history. There
is also a lesson commentary that allows the students to mark their
own work.
The
Britannia Lexicon:
The
Britannia Lexicon is an on-line glossary of keywords used during the
Middle Ages. Organised like a dictionary, the user can discover the
meaning of legal, feudal, chivalric, monastic, military and architectural
terms associated with the Medieval period. This is an open-ended project
and Britannia intends to add lengthier entries on particular events,
wars, movements and organisations that will give a more in-depth view
of the period.
Internet
Medieval Sourcebook:
Paul Halsall has created a marvellous resource for all historians
on the Internet. This website contains links to thousands of documents
on the Medieval period. For students the best starting point is 'Selected
Sources' or 'Search the Sourcebook'. Other sections include 'Maps
and Images' and ''Medieval Films'.
Virtual
Medieval Town:
Russel Tarr,
owner of the Active History
website is currently working on an exciting new project in which students
journey around a virtual medieval town and village searching for the
missing pieces of their damaged time machine. Richly illustrated and
including numerous sound effects, the simulation comes complete with
teacher notes and pupil worksheets, and provides an original way of
studying the topic.
Medieval
England: This site is targeted at 11 to 13 years old. Topics covered
include 1066 and the causes of the Norman invasion, the Battle of
Hastings, the Bayeaux Tapestry, castles, the decline of castles, glossary
of castle terms; feudalism; medieval farming and the farming year;
the lifestyle of the medieval peasant; food and drink in Medieval
England; the Domesday Book; the medieval church; Thomas Becket; Magna
Carta; Health and Medicine in Medieval England; the Back Death; the
Peasants Revolt of 1381; life in a medieval town; guilds; law and
order; Medieval Xmas; the Crusades; the First Crusade; the Third Crusade;
Saladin and Richard I; what did we get from the crusades?
Medieval
Life. The Medieval Life section of Heather Wheeler's History on
the Net uses simple explanation, images and interactive activities
to inform it's users about all aspects of life in Medieval England.
Castles
of Wales: This
website is the work of Jeffrey L. Thomas and a couple of castle fanatics
from Oregon, Lise and Brandon Hull. This attractively designed website
enables the user to find out about 170 different castles. The creators
provide a detailed history of each castle. As well as text there are
numerous illustrations, for example, Beaumaris has twelve photographs
and a drawing of the layout of the castle. To help the student there
is an excellent online glossary of castle terms. There is also a section
on Welsh Abbeys and a whole range of links with other sites including:
'A History of Wales', 'Royal Families of Wales' and 'Cultural Traditions'.
Jeffrey Thomas has produced a splendid website that will be much imitated
in the years to come.
Castles:
This website produced by Schools History traces the development of
Castles and fortifications over the ages covering Roman fortifications
in Britain, Anglo-Saxon forts, the Motte and Bailey, Stone Keep Castles
and Concentric Castles. Users can establish the reasons for the construction
of castles and evaluation of the reasons for the change in fortification
design is offered. This unit includes a range of images to illustrate
the major changes.
The
Monarchs of England:
This is one of the excellent websites produced by Rod Hampton and
Seth Fox of Britannia. The site contains biographies and portraits
of the sixty-nine kings and queens who have ruled England since 829.
There is also a detailed account of Oliver Cromwell's period in power.
The kings and queens are listed in the order of accession and this
appears by the side of a two-page overview of the British monarchy.
There are usually two or three pages of information on each of the
monarchs. Relevant links with other websites appear next to the biographies.
A beautifully designed and easy to use website.
The
Secrets of the Norman Invasion:
Nick Austin's website is a fascinating example of how one person's
research can contribute to the educational understanding of a whole
community. What started as a personal investigation into where the
Normans landed in 1066, has turned into a rich resource for all students
of the period. The website contains eleven sections of the Bayeux
Tapestry. Each one is accompanied by a detailed commentary of the
events shown in the section. Nick Austin also provides several Domesday
Maps that relate to the area where the Normans landed in 1066.
Henry
II and Thomas Becket: Pupils investigate and learn the story of
Henry II and Thomas Becket in an interactive decision making game.
Taking on the role of Henry II, pupils are required to build up reputation
points as reward for improving Henry II's reputation. Through the
activity pupils are guided through the events of Henry's reign, culminating
in the murder of Becket. This activity is a very useful way to introduce
or revise the events leading to the murder of Becket, improving pupils
ability to identify cause and effect.
Castles
and Abbeys: A
website that contains information on the castles, abbeys, churches,
manor houses and medieval buildings visited by Michael Cook. This
includes Battle Abbey, Michelham Priory, Arundel Castle, Bodium Castle,
Westminster Abbey, Greys Court, Rochester Castle, Hedingham Castle,
Castle Acre Priory, St Mary the Less, Bolton Castle and Castle Rising
Castle.
Domesday
Book: The Domesday
book was commissioned in December 1085 by William the Conqueror, who
invaded England in 1066. The first draft was completed in August 1086
and contained records for 13,418 settlements in the English counties
south of the rivers Ribble and Tees (the border with Scotland at the
time). This excellent website has been set up to enable visitors to
find out the history of the Domesday Book and to give an insight into
life at the time of its compilation.
CastleXplorer:
This website allows people to locate castles in Britain using interactive
maps or to select them from an alphabetical list. Each castle includes
a description and brief history, photographs, full visitor information
and directions as well as a link to a map. The site also includes
a history of castles, an extensive glossary of castle terminology,
information about organizations that maintain castles and links to
other useful information.
Wars
of Independence:
Scotland and England are two nations divided by their experience of
history. That divide was never wider than during the Wars of Independence
in the 13th and 14th centuries when a chance event brought an era
of relative friendship to an end in violent conflict. This website
produced by the BBC includes an overview of the conflict plus detailed
biographies of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.
Church
and State: An
extensive website on the development of the Church and State in Britain.
Written by some of the world's leading historians the material is
organized under four main headings: Monarchs and Leaders, Nations,
Church and Reformation and Documents.
TimeRef
is a medieval timeline reference site covering the years 800 to 1499.
It includes the key events for medieval Britain during the period,
which biographies of all the kings and many of the important people.
Detailed family trees are included with each branch of the tree being
a link to more information. Also included are details on important
medieval
buildings, castles, abbeys and cathedrals. Maps show where the buildings
are located. The site contains 3D reconstructions of ruined castles
and abbeys. This excellent website is continually being updated.
William
Rufus: Just before William
the Conqueror
died he
decided that William
Rufus,
rather than his older brother, Robert
Curthose,
should be king of England. In 1088 a group of Normans, including Richard
de Clare,
rebelled against the rule of Rufus in order to place Robert on the
throne. After a two
day siege at Tonbridge
Castle, Richard de
Clare was forced to surrender to William. Richard was punished by
having his castle and the town of Tonbridge burnt to the ground. Richard
de Clare was also forced to live in a monastery where he died three
years later. On 2nd August 1100, William Rufus went hunting at Brockenhurst
in the New Forest. During the hunt, Walter
Tirel fired
an arrow at a stag. The arrow missed the animal and hit William Rufus
in the chest. Within a few minutes the king was dead.
Walter Tirel was Richard de Clare's son-in-law? Had the Clare family
gained revenge on William Rufus. This classroom activity looks at
the evidence that William Rufus might have been the victim of a political
conspiracy.
Time
Traveller's Guide to Medieval Britain: This Channel 4 website
claims to provide "everything the intrepid traveller needs to
know to explore the age of chivalry". The material is organized
under the headings: Timeline, Basics, Words, Age of Chivalry, Class
& Customs, Hazards & Dangers, Movers & Shakers, The Arts,
Castles & Cathedrals, Sex & Sleaze and Three Kingdoms.
Crime
and Punishment: This local history website was created by Powys
County Archives with the help of the county museums and libraries
in the area. Subjects covered include Religion, Education and Poverty.
The Crime and Punishment section provides a large collection of primary
sources on the way in which offenders were dealt with by the authorities
in the counties of Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Breconshire in
earlier times.
Medieval
Pilgrimage: In the Middle Ages the Church encouraged people to
make pilgrimages to special holy places called shrines. It was believed
that if you prayed at these shrines you might be forgiven for your
sins and have more chance of going to heaven. Others went to shrines
hoping to be cured from an illness they were suffering from. This
website provides an overview of pilgrimages and sections on Britain's
most important religious shrines including
those at Canterbury, Walsingham, St. Winifred's Well, Lindisfarne,
Glastonbury, Bromholm and St. Albans.
Virtual
Tours of Monasteries: Dr. Deborah Vess of
Georgia State University has visited some of the most well-known medieval
monastic sites in the world. She has decided to share these experiences
with others through a series of virtual tours. This includes online
tours of Fountains Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey, Lindisfarne Priory, Celtic
Holy Wells, St. David's, Mellifont Abbey, Whitby Abbey, Kirkstall
Abbey, St. Augustine's Abbey and Battle Abbey.
Medieval
Pilgrimages: The Standards Site is managed by the Department for
Education and Employment's Standards and Effectiveness Unit (SEU).
The main objective of the site is to supply teachers with "guidance
and tools to help schools improve effectiveness, raise standards and
reduce workload". This scheme of work deals with the question:
"Why did people go on pilgrimages?" Aimed at Y7 pupils (11
to 12 year olds) the material attempts to explain why the cult of
relics was an important aspect of medieval religion.
Kings
and Queens: Explore the kings and queens of England and later
the United Kingdom through time, illustrated with contemporary portraits
and key events from each period. Then see if you can remember who
reigned when in the game. There are four periods to explore in this
BBC website. The Plantagenets and the Houses of Lancaster and York
are featured in the first period, the Tudors and Stuarts in the second
and the House of Hanover in the third. The timeline concludes with
the Windsors.
Medieval
Pilgrimage Project: Undertaking a pilgrimage was one of the rare
occasions that allowed the peoples of medieval Europe to experience
communities different to their own. Pilgrimage was perhaps the first
truly European experience. In this European Virtual School project
students across Europe will be invited explore the pilgrimage traditions
of their own communities and to share their research with a wider
European learning community.
Castles:
The site was designed by Ruth Galbraith, a teacher of history at Sligo
Grammar School in the West of Ireland. It is aimed at Key Stage 3
in the U.K. and First Year in Ireland - i.e. ages 11 to 13. It contains
six pages, which look at Norman and Stone Castles. The site illustrates
what life was like in a castle with plenty of graphics. The training
and life of a knight are examined and there is also a page on attacking
and defending a castle. The site has plenty of visual material and
links to other sites with elements of a Web Quest, which form part
of a quiz running through the site. There is also a small amount of
interactivity to engage the student on three of the pages.
Medieval
Castles: Step back in time to the vanished world of medieval Britain.
Take a virtual tour of 9 castles (Rochester, Hedingham, Caerphilly,
Caernarfon, Bodiam, Raglan, Pontefract, Craigievar, Threave), watch
video clips, study timelines and get more information. Castle presenter
and historian Marc Morris introduces us to 10 of the best-preserved
examples across the United Kingdom. Castles were both a fortress and
a home. Built to withstand armed assault they also housed elegant
ladies, poets, priests, children and animals - as well as brutish
warriors.
Jousting
developed to allow knights to practice fighting with lances and shields.
Knights used their heraldry to identify them in jousts and a system
of rules and regulations was developed under officers called the marshal
and constable. Jousts were carefully organised events overseen by
heralds. Teams of challengers and defenders dressed in spectacular
armour and fought agreed numbers of courses on horseback with lances
and sometimes swords or axes. The object was to break the lance of
the opposing knight rather than deliberately injuring him, and points
were scored for this display of skill and grace. In this simulation
students get the chance to take part in a joust.
Anti-Semitism
in Medieval England: The persecution of the Jews that the world
witnessed during the Second World War was not a new event. Although
nothing had been seen on this scale before, the Jews have been persecuted
throughout history - ever since Roman times. Their religion and their
success in business has attracted hatred and jealousy at different
times. Laws were sometimes passed against them, such as the 1215 ruling
by the Catholic Church that Jewish men had to wear spiked hats to
identify them. At other times they have been made to wear stars on
their clothing and change their names. At this PRO website students
get the opportunity to decipher this medieval cartoon to find out
about attitudes to Jews in the middle ages.
Medieval
England: This website contains information on the following topics:
a timeline on medieval kings and queens; William the Conqueror; 1066;
the Battle of Hastings; scenes from the battlefield; the Bayeaux Tapestry;
castles; motte and bailey castles; stone keep castles; concentric
castles; castle features; defending a castle; the end of castles;
glossary of castle terms; medieval manor houses; feudalism; feudal
services; medieval farming; the farming year; the lifestyle of the
medieval peasant; medieval names; medieval surnames; food and drink
in Medieval England; the Domesday Book; Sussex and the Domesday Book;
medieval churches; Norman church architecture; Gothic church architecture;
Thomas Becket; building a medieval cathedral; medieval masons; Magna
Carta; King John; health and medicine in Medieval England; the Black
Death; ‘Cures’ for the Black Death; the Peasants Revolt
of 1381; officials in a medieval village; medieval towns; medieval
guilds; medieval law and order; medieval Christmas; the Hundred Years
War; the longbow; timeline of the Crusades; the First Crusade; Richard
I, Saladin and the Third Crusade and The Children’s Crusade.
Battle
of Bosworth: During the 15th century powerful families supported
either the House of Lancaster or the House of York. Kings of England
at this time came from either of these two houses. Kings of England
at this time relied heavily upon the support of these immensely powerful
Lords to maintain their position. For a long time there was rivalry
and jealousy between these powerful families who wanted power for
themselves. This rivalry eventually spilled over into outright war
with the first battle of the Wars of the Roses taking place at St.
Albans in May 1455. This impressive website takes a detailed look
at the battle at Bosworth Field that all but ended the great conflict
and paved the way for the coming of the Tudors.
Medieval
Illuminated Manuscripts: This website contains all kinds of information
about the illuminated medieval manuscripts of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek
and the Museum Meermanno-Westreenianum. The website has a guided tour
that will help the visitor to get acquainted with the collection in
general, and with the subject matter of the illuminations in particular.
To find your way through the applicable index terms, a keyword search
option is provided. Should you prefer German or French to English
when consulting the subject index, you can easily switch languages
by clicking the appropriate flag.
Earl
of Clare: Richard FitzGilbert, the 1st Earl of Clare, arrived
in England with William the Conqueror in 1066. As a reward for his
contribution to the Norman victory, Richard was granted 179 manors
in England. The next 200 years was a profitable time for the Clare
family. By the 13th century, the Clare family was the second most
powerful family in England . However, this all came to an end when
Gilbert de Clare, the 10th Earl of Clare, was killed at Bannockburn
on 24th June, 1314. Gilbert, who was only 23 years old, did not have
any children and so his death brought an end to the male line of the
Clare family and the family estates were divided between his three
sisters. The resources on this website enable students to examine
the influence that one family had on Norman England.
Online
Reference Book for Medieval Studies: Carolyn Schriber of Rhodes
College started this website in 1995. The ORB Encyclopedia is a collection
of chronological and geographical index of essays, bibliographies,
images, documents, links, and other resources, selected by editors
to illustrate their selected topics. Another feature is What Every
Medievalist Should Know by James Marchand and Stephen Mark Carey.
These 45 lists, arranged topically and alphabetically, comprise the
premier guide to medieval studies. The ORB Reference Shelf provides
links to excerpts and full texts from primary and secondary sources.
Kid's
Castle: The home page has an aerial view of the castle. Clicking
on a part of the view takes you to that part of the castle. Students
can find out about the people that lived there and what they did.
Sometimes there will also be more information about an aspect of castle
life, a game to play or puzzle to solve. Subjects covered include
different parts of a castle (gatehouse, great tower, royal apartments,
great hall, chapel, kitchens, etc.). There is also an interesting
section on tournaments.
Medieval
History in the Movies: This website provides a list of movies
on medieval themes compiled with the help of Microsoft's Cinemania
and the Internet Movie Database. This includes plot summaries, and
links to reviews for many of the films. It is arranged thematically
following the general plan of the Internet Medieval Sourcebook. Although
it uses the term Medieval it is in fact movies that go from the Roman
Empire until the 17th-century.
Castles
of Britain: This impressive website includes a collection of research
pages to help students of all ages to explore castles: About Castles,
Bathing and Washing, Birds Eye Views, Building a Castle, Building
Materials, Castle Defenses, Castle Provisions, Concentric Castles,
Decline of the Castle, Drawbridges, Dungeons, Food, Fortified Manors,
Gatehouses, Ground Plans, Knights, Life in a Castle, Medieval Siege,
Motte and Bailey Castles, Portcullis, Ringwork Castles, Solars, Stone
Castles, Tower Houses and Undermining.
Do you
want to have your website listed in our web directory? If so, send
a brief description (about 150 words) and the URL to spartacus@pavilion.co.uk.
