Phptograph of a Roman pottery jar decorated with a human face

Half a million years for you to discover

410 to 1558

Journey across a thousand years - from Anglo-Saxon settlement in the 5th century, through Viking raids and the Norman Conquest of 1066, to the splendour and bustle of England’s 15th-century capital.

Find out about famous Londoners, such as Chaucer and Becket, about medieval fashions, crafts and guilds, merchants and overseas trade. Explore the world of the medieval pilgrim by admiring the intricate pewter badges brought back from Canterbury or Compostella.


Anglo-Saxon, Medieval and Tudor links

Domesday for the English: How William the Conqueror kept control

Factpack

After the Norman Conquest, most of the English did not want victorious King William as their monarch. To keep control, he crushed revolts, built strong castles, found out what everybody owned through the Domesday survey and enforced laws and taxes.

What was life like in medieval London?

Factpack

London changed enormously between 1066 and 1500. But it was still tiny by modern standards. Places like Hackney, Brixton and Wandsworth were villages surrounded by farmland.

Medieval art and architecture

Factpack

Skilful artisans created the art and architecture of medieval London. It was made to educate people and to celebrate God. But it also demonstrated wealth and power - and kept the poor in their place.

The Black Death

Factpack

How did a flea kill half the population of medieval London?

Dick Whittington: The true story

Factpack

Who was the man behind the myth?

Medieval apprentices game

Online game

Play the Medieval apprentices game (requires Flash)

Virtual Object Handling

Feature

Use your skills to investigate mysterious objects

Target the Tudors

Feature

Explore the evidence of Tudor life

The Prittlewell prince

External link

A princely burial of the 7th century AD in south-east Essex

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