GCSEHistoryEdexcelRevision NotesAnglo-Saxon & Norman England, c1060-1088Anglo-Saxon England under Edward the ConfessorThe Anglo-Saxon Economy

The Anglo-Saxon Economy (Edexcel GCSE History)

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What Helped Anglo-Saxon Society Grow? - Summary

Historians state how England's climate had helped the growth of Anglo-Saxon society by 1066. The west of England provided the perfect conditions for sheep rearing. The landscape's rocky coastline and meadows created high-quality grazing for sheep. In the east of England, the climate was drier and fields had fertile soil. This climate created ideal conditions for arable farming. Anglo-Saxon society had many items to trade abroad. Historians believe that England developed an important wool and cloth trade.

Anglo-Saxon England had strong organisation for farming. Historians estimate there were over 6,000 mills across England. This allowed communities to make flour, which they could use or trade.

Anglo-Saxons and Trade

  • Anglo-Saxons traded with other countries

    • German silver made the majority of the silver coins in Anglo-Saxon England 

    • Millstones and whetstones came from Denmark to England

    • Anglo-Saxons had wine from Normandy

  • Different towns were responsible for trading with different countries

    • York traded with Denmark

    • Bristol traded between the west of England and Viking settlements in Ireland

  • London was the main trading hub of England

    • Traders from Flanders, Germany, France and Normandy came to London

What Were Burhs?

  • Burhs were fortified towns in Anglo-Saxon England

What did a burh look like?

IMAGE

An illustration showing the key features of an Anglo-Saxon burh

How important were burhs in Anglo-Saxon England?

  • About 10% of the population lived in burhs by 1066

    • By 1060, London and York were England's biggest towns, with over 10,000 people in each

    • Norwich and Lincoln had about 6,000 residents each

  • Burhs were well-planned

    • Burhs connected to other burhs by road

      • Roads helped soldiers move quicker between burhs that needed military help

    • There were 15 to 20 miles between each burh

      • If a Viking attacked a person or a settlement, people could flee to another burh

  • Burhs were vital to Anglo-Saxon England

    • The people had to maintain them

      • The residents of the burh were responsible for the upkeep of the fortification

    • Burhs were an important source of income for the king

      • People selling products of a certain value had to trade out of burhs. The king could collect trade tax this way

Worked Example

Describe two features of towns in Anglo-Saxon England

4 marks

Answer: 

One feature of an Anglo-Saxon town, or burh, was its strong fortified walls (1). These protected the inhabitants of the burh from being attacked by Viking invaders (1)

Another feature of an Anglo-Saxon town, or burh, was the importance of trade (1). All trade worth over a certain amount of money had to take place in towns by law. This allowed the king to charge a trade tax on this (1)

Exam Tip

When answering ‘Describe two features of…’ questions, the four marks are given to you for:

Identify - write a relevant point based on the question topic (1)

Describe - add some specific own knowledge about the point you have made (1)

To achieve full marks, you must do these steps twice

Villages in Anglo-Saxon England

  • Villages were different in Anglo-Saxon times than they are today

    • Anglo-Saxon villages contained more isolated houses and farms spread across a wider area

    • Modern villages are a cluster of houses surrounded by fields

How did the houses of peasants differ to the houses of thegns in villages?

 

Peasants

Thegns

Type of house

A wooden house with a thatched roof

Manor houses. The thegn could also add fortifications around the house

Number of residents in the house

Multiple relatives of a person's extended family lived in one house

The thegn and his immediate family

Uses for the land around the house

The peasant would rent the land around the house from a thegn or earl. This would allow the peasant to grow crops for himself and his local lord

Thegns built churches on their land. The thegn would have private church services for his family. The thegn would also allow the priest to hold services for the village

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    Zoe Wade

    Author: Zoe Wade

    Zoe has worked in education for 10 years as a teaching assistant and a teacher. This has given her an in-depth perspective on how to support all learners to achieve to the best of their ability. She has been the Lead of Key Stage 4 History, showing her expertise in the Edexcel GCSE syllabus and how best to revise. Ever since she was a child, Zoe has been passionate about history. She believes now, more than ever, the study of history is vital to explaining the ever-changing world around us. Zoe’s focus is to create accessible content that breaks down key historical concepts and themes to achieve GCSE success.