Starter quiz
- What natural features made Pevensey Castle a difficult site to attack?
- Thick forests and high cliffs
- Surrounding marshland and natural harbors ✓
- A deep river and steep hills
- An impenetrable forest and mountains
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- How did William the Conqueror reinforce Pevensey Castle upon his arrival?
- By adding a stone tower
- By repairing the Roman walls and digging a ditch across the spit ✓
- By building a large wooden bridge
- By constructing a moat around the castle
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- What role did Pevensey Castle play during the Rebellion of 1088?
- It served as a royal residence.
- It was the base for an Anglo-Saxon rebellion.
- It was used by rebel forces and later besieged by King William II. ✓
- It was abandoned and fell into disrepair.
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- Which of the following best describes the reason why William’s half-brother, Robert, was given control over Pevensey Castle?
- He was the only noble available at the time.
- William wanted to reward his brother with land.
- William trusted Robert completely to protect this key frontier region. ✓
- Robert had experience in building castles.
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- What effect did the sight of the Norman castle within the Roman fort at Pevensey have on the local Anglo-Saxon population?
- It encouraged them to attack.
- It led them to ally with the Normans.
- It discouraged rebellion due to its intimidating presence. ✓
- It made them abandon the area.
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- Pevensey Castle was part of the former earldom of ______, which had been the domain of the Anglo-Saxon king Harold II.
- 'Wessex' ✓
Exit quiz
- Who commissioned the Bayeux Tapestry?
- King Harold II
- Bishop Odo of Bayeux ✓
- Robert, Count of Mortain
- William the Conqueror
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- What was the primary purpose of the Bayeux Tapestry?
- To serve as a map of England
- To decorate a palace in Normandy
- To tell the story of the Norman Conquest from the Norman perspective ✓
- To commemorate the coronation of William the Conqueror
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- Which of the following towns is mentioned in the later part of the Bayeux Tapestry?
- London
- Winchester
- Pevensey ✓
- York
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- How many transport ships did the Normans build for their invasion of England?
- 100
- 250
- 400
- 600 ✓
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- The Normans transported approximately ______ specially-trained warhorses across the Channel for the invasion.
- '2500' ✓
- What was the impact of the Norman pillaging on Sussex during the Conquest?
- The value of the land increased by 40%.
- The value of the land fell by 40%. ✓
- The land value remained unchanged.
- The land was abandoned by the Normans.
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Pevensey is named in the Bayeux Tapestry.
- The first Norman motte-and-bailey castle was built at Pevensey.
- The Normans were well-prepared for their invasion of England.
- After landing at Pevensey, the Normans devastated the towns of Sussex.
- Robert, Count of Mortain, was given control of Pevensey Castle and the surrounding land.
Common misconception
The Bayeux Tapestry was created by Franco-Normans in Bayeux.
The Bayeux Tapestry was commissioned by Odo, the Bishop of Bayeux, for Bayeux Cathedral, but historians are now almost certain that it was created in Canterbury by English seamstresses.
Keywords
Motte-and-bailey castle - a type of castle built by the Normans, with a high earthen mound (motte) and a courtyard (bailey) protected by a strong timber palisade (fence)
Pillaging - robbing a place using violence, especially in wartime
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