Catching a swarm of bees
Introduction
World of Domesday looks at what life was like in later 11th century England. The wealth of information that Domesday provides helps create a picture of the rich landscape that William conquered. The survey reveals which areas of the countryside were worked as ploughland, pasture, meadow or woodland, and suggests regional variations. It tells us something about the people who held or worked the land and the social relationships between them. As an Anglo-Saxon chronicler wrote, not 'one ox nor one cow nor one pig which was there left out and not put down in his record'. In spanning 20 years, Domesday also tells of how the landscape changed as a result of activities aimed at protecting Norman England.
Norman knights supported by archers attack the English at the Battle of Hastings. Detail of the Bayeux Tapestry – 11th century; by special permission of the City of Bayeux
