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Year 10 - History

Sussex before the Norman Conquest

Pevensey Castle

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn about the historical environment, choosing the relevant site study to complement their understanding of Norman England.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe Sussex, the county that Pevensey is in, before 1066.

Key Notes

Sussex was a mixture of rich coastal areas and poor heavily-forested areas.
Sussex was home to important religious centres.
Sussex had established trade links with Europe.
Sussex formed a part of the earldom of Wessex.
Sussex was one of the Godwin family's bases.

Vocabulary To Learn

earldom: the territory governed by an earl
church: a building used for public Christian worship
trade: the exchange of goods
earl: a powerful English landholder

Common Mistakes To Avoid

There were no real areas of wilderness left in England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.

Sussex was a mixture of rich coastal areas and poor heavily-forested areas. Sussex was home to important religious centres.

2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'earldom'

the territory governed by an earl.

3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.

Mistake: There were no real areas of wilderness left in England by the time of the Norman Conquest. Correction: The population of England in 1066 is generally estimated to have been about two million. The people of England were not evenly spread around the country however, and large parts of the land had no human habitation at all.

More Lessons In This Unit

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