The Results of the Norman Conquest on Anglo-Saxon Garden Design

The introduction of the Normans in the latter half of the 11th century substantially transformed The Anglo-Saxon ways of living. Architecture and gardening were skills that the Normans excelled in, trumping that of the Anglo-Saxons at the time of the occupation. But the Normans had to pacify the entire territory before they could focus on home life, domestic architecture, and decoration. Castles were more basic designs and often erected on blustery hills, where their tenants spent both time and space to exercising offense and defense, while monasteries were considerable stone buildings, commonly located in the widest, most fertile hollows. The sterile fortresses did not provide for the quiet avocation of gardening. The finest specimen of Source the early Anglo-Norman style of architecture existent presently is Berkeley Castle. The keep is thought to date from the time of William the Conqueror. An enormous terrace encompasses the building, serving as an obstruction to assailants wanting to excavate under the castle walls. On 1 of these terraces lies a charming bowling green: it's covered in grass and flanked by an old yew hedge that is created into the shape of rough ramparts.