Anglo Saxon Landscapes at the Time of the Norman Conquest

Anglo-Saxons experienced extraordinary adjustments to their daily lives in the latter half of the eleventh century due to the accession of the Normans. Architecture and horticulture were abilities that the Normans excelled in, trumping that of the Anglo-Saxons at the time of the occupation. Nonetheless the Normans had to pacify the entire territory before they could focus on home life, domestic architecture, and decoration. Monasteries and castles served different functions, so while monasteries were enormous stone structures built in only the most productive, wide dales, castles were set upon blustery knolls where the residents focused on learning offensive and defensive tactics. The barren fortresses did not provide for the calm avocation of horticulture. The finest example of the early Anglo-Norman style of architecture existent today is Berkeley Castle. The keep is thought to date from the time of William the Conqueror. As a method of deterring attackers from tunneling within the walls, an immense terrace surrounds the building. One of these terraces, a charming bowling green, is covered This Site grass and flanked by an aged yew hedge trimmed into the form of crude battlements.