The Norman conquest of England marked the end of an era for York. The Anglo-Scandinavian city – as large as London – had enjoyed relative peace and prosperity for a hundred years, but was ultimately razed by Norman forces and rebuilt in the invaders’ image.
Ironically, it could be argued that Anglo-Scandinavian plotting was responsible for England’s defeat at the hands of ‘William the Bastard’. in 1065 Tostig Godwinson was the unpopular Earl of Northumbria, possibly responsible for assassinating his rivals and critics. He was also the brother of Harold Godwinson, then king of England. A gang of Northumbrian nobles met in York and agreed to depose Tostig, who eventually fled to Norway and persuaded the Norwegian king, Harald Hardrada, to raise an army and invade England. In September 1066 the army reached York and defeated a force led by Mercian earls at Fulford. In response King Harold Godwinson sent an army to York from his southern fastness; amazingly, the men not only made the journey in five days but won the decisive confrontation at Stamford Bridge. Only a matter of weeks later, William of Normandy launched his invasion on England’s south coast. King Harold Godwinson’s forces rushed back south to engage the beachhead. Their battle-weariness, combined with William’s superior cavalry and tactics, saw the English fail; the Normans were triumphant, and William swiftly began subduing his new kingdom.
William built the two castles in York in response to a series of northern rebellions to Norman rule. One particular York revolt, by English and Danes, saw the castles torched. In response, William unleashed what has become known as the ‘Harrying of the North.’ Huge swathes of countryside were razed, villages burnt and the population slaughtered. Most of York’s denizens were killed. In the words of the chronicler Orderic Vitalis:
The King stopped at nothing to hunt his enemies. He cut down many people and destroyed homes and land. Nowhere else had he shown such cruelty… To his shame, William made no effort to control his fury, punishing the innocent with the guilty. He ordered that crops and herds, tools and food be burned to ashes. More than 100,000 people perished of starvation.
Domesday Book subsequently describes most of Yorkshire’s landholdings as ‘waste’ (although this could be read as meaning ‘nothing taxable’.) Whatever was left was distributed amongst Norman aristocracy.
But York eventually benefitted from this sea change; the city became a seat of royal government, almost a London of the North. Norman and Angevin kings visited regularly and so York was rebuilt to reflect its regal status, and its strategic importance in enforcing the king’s will in the north. The Minster was recast as a grand stone church, city walls were made good, new churches and religious houses were founded, and royal dwellings established. In short, the Normans laid York’s blueprint for the entire medieval period.
To find out more, pick a marker from the map above, or an item below, or just browse the list.
- York MinsterYork Minster is one of the greatest cathedrals in northern Europe, and part of a ...
- York CastleYork Castle was originally a large fortified complex, comprising the keep of Clifford’s Tower, prisons ...
- The ShamblesThe Shambles is known for the number of butchers that used to trade from it. ...
- The Old BailleYork was one of the few cities in England that had two castles. The first ...
- The Norman HouseOnly two walls of this house on Stonegate, dating from 1180, remain. Made from dressed ...
- St SaviourgateNamed after St Saviour’s Church, which originally dated back to 1090. The street was originally ...
- St Saviour, St SaviourgateA church has stood on this site since the 11th century, although the present building ...
- St Sampson’s, Church StreetLocated in the heart of York, the building stands over part of the Roman city ...
- St Olave’s, MarygateWithin the walls of St Mary’s Abbey, this church is thought to have been founded ...
- St Michael, SpurriergateNow a café, the church was founded after the Norman Conquest. Its oldest features are ...
- St Mary’s AbbeyOriginally dedicated to St Olave in 1055, this Benedictine abbey was re-established shortly after William ...
- St Mary, CastlegateThe church dates back to roughly 1020. A dedication stone inside reads that the church ...
- St Mary, Bishophill SeniorAll that remains of this church, demolished in the 1960s, is a community garden, which ...
- St Margaret, WalmgateSix medieval churches were located in the Walmgate area, but now only two remain. The ...
- St Leonard’s hospitalSt Leonard’s was the largest medieval hospital in England and cared for the ill and ...
- St Lawrence, Lawrence StThe ruined tower standing apart from the Victorian church is at least 12th century, with ...
- St Denys, WalmgateSet on a raised knoll above the current road level, the present building was founded in ...
- St Cuthbert, Peasholme GreenThe site of this church is one of the oldest foundations in York. A place ...
- Monk BarDating from the 14th century, this is the tallest and strongest of the four main ...
- Minster undercroft and cryptThe Minster’s undercroft and crypt reveal much about its Norman legacy. The crypt, in particular, ...
- Micklegate BarThis gatehouse was the traditional ceremonial entrance for royalty, who would typically approach the city ...
- HospitiumThe Hospitium is a large stone and timber-framed building, once part of St Mary’s abbey. ...
- Holy Trinity, MicklegateOn the site of a pre-conquest building, it includes remnants of a Benedictine priory church. ...
- Holy Trinity, King’s SquareKnown as Konungsgarthr or King’s Garth in the 10th century, some have suggested this small ...
- Holy Trinity, GoodramgateThis lovely, small church, hidden away in a secluded churchyard, dates from the 11th century, ...
- Gray’s CourtGrays Court is possibly the oldest continuously occupied house in the United Kingdom. Dating back ...
- Clifford’s TowerClifford’s Tower is a keep within the larger complex of York Castle. It is situated ...
- Clementhorpe NunneryThurstan, Archbishop of York, founded Clementhorpe nunnery in 1130 to service the parish of St ...
- Bootham BarBootham is a continuation of Petergate outside the city walls. There has been a gateway ...
- All Saints, PavementA church has been located here since before the Norman Conquest. The minster church, according ...
- All Saints, North StFounded in 1089, the church grew over subsequent centuries to include up to five altars ...