The Norman Invasion

When William defeated Harold in 1066 AD, the future of the British Isles took a major change of direction. For hundreds of years to come, it would be embroiled in wars in Europe and the Holy Lands. Civil unrest would be rife and the once proud traditions of the Saxons would be ground under the stone of a network of castles that covered the country. The Normans brought a whole new society with them across the Channel, which largely made the country what it is today.

The Normans were composed of a mix of cultures. Historically, they were a combination of Viking settlers who had married into the local Frankish cultures. As a result their society was a conglomerate of the two.

Like their Viking ancestors, the Normans were warlike and prized mounted soldiers. The Norman cavalry was to form the basis for medieval Knights and what we now understand as chivalry stems from Norman codes of conduct on the battlefield.

However, the Normans were more than just mobile killing machines. Their invasion of England also brought with it wonderful examples of architecture. As they were devout followers of the medieval Christian church, the best examples of Norman style can be found in the churches and chapels that still exist all over the country.

The Normans also brought with them a new form of warfare. The Saxons and, before them, the Celts had largely depended on armies of brave warriors, who would band together to fight the enemy. Often battles were resolved through one-on-one fights between clan heroes. (Similar to classical era Greeks).

The Normans had a style of warfare that evolved from their Norse roots and was heavily influenced by the European wars of the 9th and 10th centuries and from Frankish kings such as Charlemagne.

This resulted in Norman armies being well organised and disciplined. The mainstay of the army was the heavy foot soldier, although the nobles and leaders were always mounted on powerful horses. During the middle-medieval period the status symbol of horses became firmly rooted. Even today owning a horse is often seen as a rich person’s pursuit.

In addition to the new forms of combat, the Normans brought with them a brand new way of defending territory. The Saxons were from a culture of mobile raiders and as such tended not to rely on heavy defensive structures. Most Saxon strongholds were hill forts similar to the ones used by the Celts or, where they had taken over an old Roman fortification, the Saxons would shore up the walls and reuse it. In the mainstream of Saxon culture, it was wrong to attack the settlements where people lived (raids, however, were common place) and battles were always fought in open ground.

This changed with the arrival of the Normans. They brought with them the massive stone structures we still see today. Norman castles were a stamp of authority as much as defensive structures and the conquerors built hundreds of them across the country including many in Pembrokeshire.