Domesday to Today
Domesday to today
A Page from the Domesday Book
08 April 2004
Domesday Book is battling it out against nine other famous British treasures to win the title Britain's Finest Treasure. A new Channel 5 series to be broadcast this summer pits The National Archives' Domesday Book against other nominees including the Crown Jewels, Magna Carta and the Lindisfarne Gospels. Voting opens on Tuesday 13 April.
Nick Barratt, medieval historian and a huge fan of Domesday Book says:
"Any aspect of history can be found in Domesday. All human life is here."
Domesday Book's value to England's heritage is unchallenged. Carenza Lewis, archaeologist and one of the jurors who thrashed out the top ten Finest Treasures said:
"As a medieval landscape archaeologist, I use Domesday Book almost every day that I'm working. You can tell what the landscape was like 1000 years ago; you can reconstruct the landscape of all England at the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, which is phenomenal."
William the Conqueror, in an attempt to find out how much he owned and was owed in taxes, set about commissioning Domesday in 1085, and unwittingly created an iconic document. An Anglo-Saxon monk wrote that the King
"had much thought and very deep discussion about this country, how it was occupied and with what sort of people."
William's curiosity led to the compilation of the most detailed survey of society in Western Europe at that time.
Nicknamed "Domesday" Book by the native English, after God's final Day of Judgement, the title was adopted by its official custodians, now The National Archives at Kew, West London.
Domesday Book is securely housed in The National Archives museum where it is cared for by a team of conservators. Light and humidity levels are carefully monitored but it is still on permanent view to the public free of charge.
So inspirational is Domesday Book that in 1986, to mark its 900th anniversary, the BBC, with the help of thousands of schoolchildren and teachers across the country, compiled a Domesday for the 1980s. It is testament to the enthusiasm aroused by the original Domesday that after BBC Domesday became obsolete and was believed to be lost, it was resurrected by Adrian Pearce, an independent enthusiast, with the backing of The National Archives and the BBC. "Domesday Community", a PC version of the BBC Domesday was created with added features, and can now be viewed, free of charge, at The National Archives.
For more information about viewing Domesday Book call The National Archives on +44 (0) 20 8392 5200.
To vote for Domesday Book to become Britain's Finest Treasure call +44 (0) 90 1383 8508 (calls cost 25p from a BT landline - other networks may cost more). You can also text your vote by texting VOTE 08 to 80088 (text votes cost 25p + standard operator charge) or register online at http://www.radiotimes.com/content/competitions/britainsfinest/. Votes can only be registered from Tuesday 13 April until Sunday 25 April so place your vote for Domesday now!!!
