Domesday Delving

In this week’s episode of Domesday Delving, we travel to Swyre in Dorset — a small coastal holding with a rare gem in its Domesday entry: a clear acknowledgement of King Harold. From this one line, we dive into the life, reign, and legacy of England’s last crowned Anglo-Saxon king.

Was Harold Godwinson truly the usurper the Normans painted him to be — or a legitimate king cut down by an invading opportunist? Why does so much of what we “know” about 1066 come from those who had the most to gain from rewriting the story? We explore how propaganda s...

This week on Domesday Delving, we journey to Bedwyn in Wiltshire, a royal estate so significant it was never taxed in hides. We explore the powerful symbolism of money, from medieval plough-teams and burgesses to today's digital currencies, and ask what it means when wealth loses its weight. 

Along the way, we look at coliberts, crown land, and why even the absence of a mint can tell us a great deal about value, power, and who gets remembered in history

This week, we delve into Speen in Berkshire, a village whose Domesday entry includes a church, a mill, and seven slaves. What begins as a straightforward exploration quickly spirals into a deeper conversation about the history of slavery, the role of the Church, and the uncomfortable ways in which religious institutions have justified, and at times resisted, systems of oppression. 

As promised, here are the links, in order, to Kidnap, Organ Grinders, and Payback:

https://books2read.com/u/3JwE0e

https://books2read.com/u/bOk1d0

https://books2read.com/u...

This week on Domesday Delving, we travel to Damerham in Hampshire, a village with Neolithic tombs, a royal past, and a surprisingly tangled tax record.

Once a royal estate and later a valuable holding of Glastonbury Abbey, Damerham’s Domesday entry reveals confusion over land value, rising rents, and a striking population of coliberts - freemen in a feudal world.

We dig into the medieval tax system, ask who really pays for empire-building, and reflect on how today’s tax avoidance by global giants echoes the same patterns, squeezing the poorest while the wealthiest slip away. Yes...

This week, we head to Mortlake in Surrey, a manor so rich in assets it even held properties in London and Southwark.

Once the domain of Archbishop Stigand and later seized by Lanfranc, Mortlake offers a window into the tangled relationship between church and state after the Norman Conquest. We look at the political rivalry between these two ecclesiastical giants, the Church's role in government, and how rural manors ended up controlling urban real estate.

Along the way, we unpack strange terms like "messuage," revisit the question of Harold’s legitimacy, and explore what happens when re...

What do a royal farm, a fallen estate, and a couple of jars of honey have in common? This week we travel to Upper Beeding in Sussex, once one of the most valuable holdings in the entire county, to uncover a story of royal wealth, Norman redistribution, and the small, sweet traces of medieval beekeeping.

We’ll explore the unique administrative structure of Sussex, explain what on earth a “rape” is (yes, really), and examine why a place that once rendered nearly £100 under King Edward was worth less than half that just twenty years later. Along the way, we dive...

In this special episode of Domesday Delving, we take a step back from villages and livestock to explore one of the most remarkable stories buried in the margins of the Domesday Book: the case of Asa, a woman in pre-Conquest England who held land in her own right, kept it after separating from her husband, and stood as its lawful lady, only to lose it all after 1066.

Her story isn't just a legal oddity. It’s a window into a world where Anglo-Saxon women had more rights than we often remember, and where the Norman conquest erased far mo...

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we travel to the Kentish village of Elham, once held directly by the Bishop of Bayeux himself, none other than Odo, half-brother of William the Conqueror.

From flourishing manorial profits to the shadow of eight slaves still labouring in 1086, Elham tells a story of ambition, control, and the long reach of power. But this week’s episode takes us far beyond Kent to the heart of Norman politics, rebellion, and one man’s attempt to seize two crowns.

We explore the remarkable life of Odo of Bayeux: bishop, warrior, earl, papa...

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we explore Aylsham in Norfolk—a manor once held by Gyrth Godwinson, brother to Harold, England’s last Anglo-Saxon king.

We’ll unravel the rise and catastrophic fall of the powerful House of Godwin, whose internal rivalries and personal ambitions helped doom even their strongest estates. From bustling fields and scattered berewicks to the cold realities of post-Conquest life, Aylsham’s story shows how even mighty families can fall, and how places endure even when dynasties do not.

Join the Domesday Delving Facebook group for discussions and episode updates, and if you’d...

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we visit Chebsey in Staffordshire, a small village whose Domesday entry reveals a story of hidden upheaval. Part of Chebsey’s land was taken to build an early castle at Stafford, only for that castle to be demolished within a generation.

What does this tell us about rebellion, royal insecurity, and the fragile hold the Normans had over England? We’ll explore Chebsey’s landscape of ploughs, villagers, and priests, take a look at the rapid rise and fall of early Norman fortifications, and reflect on how even the smallest places survived the sh...

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we travel to Malpas in Cheshire—a place whose name, from the Old French mal pas, means bad passage.

But long before that name took hold, the Anglo-Saxons called it Depenbech: the deep stream valley. Once held by Earl Edwin of Mercia, Malpas stood at the edge of Anglo-Saxon power and Norman ambition. We explore what the Domesday Book reveals about the manor’s collapse into waste after the Conquest, and how it began the slow process of recovery under a new Norman baron.

This episode also dives into the life...

Saltby in Leicestershire is no sleepy Domesday backwater. In 1086, it was a bustling, high-output manor with an astonishing workforce: 24 villans, 23 sokemen, 14 bordars and 16 slaves.

Once held by Earl Morcar, the rebellious Anglo-Saxon noble and son of Lady Godiva, Saltby passed into the hands of Norman baron Roger de Bully after the Conquest but its productivity didn’t falter.

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we explore the remarkable scale of Saltby’s agricultural economy, uncover the biography of the powerful and ill-fated Earl Morcar, and delve into the lives of those who made the land work incl...

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we explore the curious note that "many things are wanting to this manor"—including woodland and ironworks that had belonged to it in the time of King Edward. What happened in the twenty years between the Confessor’s reign and the Domesday survey to cause such loss? And what can Corby’s vanished iron industry tell us about resilience, change, and the fragility of local economies in the wake of conquest?

Sometimes, Domesday surprises even me. In this episode of Domesday Delving, we explore an unexpected and little-known entry recorded near the Welsh border: Camelot. With its mix of ploughland, meadows, a vineyard, and a hall already falling into disrepair by 1086, this manor raises fascinating questions about the line between history and legend.

We’ll look at the landholders before and after the Conquest, including a shadowy figure named Earl Artor, and explore what this record can teach us about medieval administration, cultural memory, and the persistence of local tradition. Plus, we dive into the Arthurian mythos, its early so...

A look into Battlesden at the time of the Domesday Survey, including a look at the ruthless High Sherrif of Cumberland.

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we explore what Eckington’s Domesday record tells us about life before and after the Norman Conquest. Who were the coliberts, and why are they so rarely mentioned? What did the shift from Anglo-Saxon to Norman rule mean for the people who worked the land? And how does this entry highlight the layers of status and servitude that shaped medieval society?

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we head to Ledbury in Herefordshire, a manor divided between knights, a priest, a radman, and the all-powerful Bishop of Hereford. But its Domesday entry also tells a tale of land disputes, shifting power, and the slow disappearance of Anglo-Saxon traditions under Norman rule.

We’ll uncover why Harold Godwinson is never called King Harold in the Domesday Book, what it meant to be a radman in a changing world, and how a stake in a salt pan at Droitwich linked Ledbury to one of medieval England’s most important industries. And we’r...

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we journey to Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire—a town with deep historical roots and a surprising connection to one very famous duck! Recorded as a royal demesne manor in the Domesday Book, Aylesbury saw major changes under Norman rule, from increased taxation to shifting landownership structures.

A look into Great Hormead's Domesday Entry, along with a brief look at the enduring legacy of the Anglo Saxon royal house, and how it eventually reconnected with the Norman rulers to form the Plantagenet dynasty.

Six months of Domesday Delving, and a look into the disputes section of Skyrack Wapentake - the larger area which includes Garforth, the setting for the very first episode of Domesday Delving.

A detailed look into High Wycombe before and after the Norman Conquest, along with a short delve into the life of Queen Edith.

A look into Peterborough's entry in the Domesday Book, along with a deeper delve into the history of the abbey.

An examination of the village of Ruislip in Middlesex, and a look at the importance of hunting for medieval nobility.

Were Kirk and Green Hammerton swapped in modern Domesday research? Discover the truth behind “the other Hammerton”, the fate of two Yorkshire villages after the Norman Conquest.

Step into Clun, a quiet Shropshire town with a stormy past. In this week’s episode of Domesday Delving, we uncover the story of Eadric the Wild—a rebel who defied William the Conqueror—and the challenges of life in the turbulent Welsh Marches. Resistance, resilience, and the human cost of change take center stage in Clun’s remarkable history.

A look into the birthplace of Edward the Confessor both before and after the Norman Conquest, including a brief examination of the life of Edward himself.

A New Year's Eve look at the town of Chepstow through the lens of the Domesday Book.

In this special holiday episode of Domesday Delving, we journey to Coventry, a medieval town filled with legends, faith, and festive traditions. Coventry’s Domesday entry reveals a thriving community that was as resilient as it was generous—values embodied by one of its most famous figures, Lady Godiva. Join us as we delve into Godiva’s legendary ride, uncover the origins of Christmas carols (including Coventry’s own haunting carol), and explore the feasting traditions that made a medieval Christmas unforgettable.

A look into Bratton, Somerset, before and after 1066.

A look at the charmingly named Little Puddle in Dorset. Along with an examination of the complexities of medieval land ownership.

A delve into the past of Luckington in Wiltshire, and an in-depth look at ridge-and-furrow ploughing techniques.

A look into Winkton, Hampshire in 1086. It examines the importance of hunting, eels, and the creation of the New Forest.

A delve into 4 towns not included in the Domesday Book, but requested by listeners or of personal significance to myself.

A look into life in medieval Ockham, Surrey, along with an in-depth examination of medieval fisheries

A delve into Kingston by Sea and the importance of salt production in Medieval England.

Okehampton's Domesday Delving episode, looking at slavery in the medieval period, the difference between serfs and slaves, along with the importance of milling and castles to the structure of society.

An exploration of medieval Helston in Cornwall, complete with an explanation of just how important ale really was to the medieval economy.

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we explore the coastal settlement of Lowestoft in Suffolk, a berewick of Gorleston held by Gyrth Godwinson before the Norman Conquest. We'll dive into what life was like in this small but significant agricultural community, its ties to one of the most powerful families in pre-Conquest England, and the changes that followed in the wake of William the Conqueror. Learn about the villagers, the woodland that supported the local pigs, and the fluctuating livestock numbers, all while piecing together the broader story of how the Domesday Book recorded and reshaped England’s landscape.

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we visit the small village of Ruckinge in Kent. Once held by Leofraed under King Edward, Ruckinge came under the control of Ralph fitz Richard after the Norman Conquest. We’ll dive into the Domesday entry to uncover what half a sulung of land meant, explore the lives of the local villagers, and trace the impact of Norman rule on this rural community. With a special focus on Ralph fitz Richard’s role, this episode brings Ruckinge’s medieval past to life, offering insights into feudal landholding and daily life in post-Conquest England.

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we journey to Pontefract in West Yorkshire, known as Tanshelf at the time of the Domesday survey. We'll explore the life of Ilbert de Lacy, one of William the Conqueror’s most powerful barons, and uncover how the Norman Conquest reshaped this vital stronghold. From the significance of Pontefract’s strategic location to the origins of its name, which memorializes a ‘broken bridge’ destroyed during the Harrying of the North, we’ll see how Ilbert’s influence helped define the region’s history.