Domesday Delving

Gloucester: saints, sheriffs, and the bright fort by the Severn. From Roman Colonia Glevum to Æthelflæd’s Mercian power-base and the Norman ledger of Domesday, this episode traces how one city was rebuilt in stone, faith, and finance. We follow Æthelflæd, the Lady of the Mercians, bringing the relics of St Oswald to Gloucester and turning a burh into a pilgrimage centre and royal mausoleum. Then we slip into everyday life: hunting and hawking, impromptu horse races, unruly mob football, tavern dice, and quiet board games in cloisters and inns. Finally, we ask what endures: the difference between walls that protect and walls that command, and the stubborn fact that people persist beneath every new regime. Gloucester’s layers still shine through the centuries, from honey and iron to pounds and pence, from saint’s shrine to sheriff’s tower.

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A look at Cirencester's past through the lens of the Domesday Book, along with a brief explanation of work in the middle ages and a look at William FitzOsbern, one of the most powerful men in the Norman regime.

One year of Domesday Delving! To mark the occasion, we’re tackling one of the great titans of the survey: the City of York.

In 1086 York sprawls across two full pages of Domesday, a record of a city scarred by rebellion, half-emptied by the Harrying of the North, and reshaped by Norman castles. In this special episode, we look at York before the Conquest, dig into Domesday’s tangle of messuages, priests, usurpers and French settlers, and explore what happens when two legal systems — Anglo-Saxon and Norman — collide. Along the way we follow rabbit holes into William’s double-castle strategy, the devastation of the Harrying, and the shifting laws that made whole villages pay for a Norman’s death.

Benson, Oxfordshire, was once the richest royal manor in the county – and its story reaches from ancient settlements to the halls of kings. In this episode of Domesday Delving, we trace Benson’s journey from the days of Offa of Mercia and the Battle of Bensington, through its role as a prized royal holding in 1086. Along the way, we uncover Anglo-Saxon politics, curious coinage, and what one king’s ruthless ambition can teach us about power – then and now.

This week on Domesday Delving, we explore the Hertfordshire manor of Tring—once a sprawling 39-hide estate, dramatically reduced to just 5 hides and a virgate by the time of the Domesday Book. What happened?

We dive into the shady post-Conquest manoeuvres of Ingelric, a native landholder who tried to game the new Norman system by attaching other people's land to his own. It didn’t end well for him. Along the way, we examine sokemen, slaves, woodland for 1,000 pigs, and a berewick with its own plough team. Plus: what Domesday really counted, and what it didn’t—and why Tring's listed population likely represents only half the story.

As always, we wrap up with a modern lesson in who gets to write history—and why it matters. 

If you want to join the Patreon, the link is: patreon.com/DomesdayDelving

And if you want some cyberpunk adventure, here's the link to Inheritance: https://books2read.com/u/3LMqqw

Once a pagan lookout, later a Christian shrine, and by 1086, a centre of Norman authority—Harrow on the Hill stands as a layered landmark in England’s long story. This episode delves into the Domesday entry for Harrow, explores the remarkable life of Archbishop Lanfranc, and examines what it meant to hold land, status, and faith in a conquered kingdom. From villans and slaves to sacred spaces and political reforms, we trace the past to its echoes in the present.

If you enjoy the show, support it on Patreon at patreon.com/DomesdayDelving

A warm thank you to the current Patrons: Hermelinda Emelisse Theedom, and Norman.

This week, we head to the remote reaches of Cornwall, where the Count of Mortain held almost everything in sight — including Fawton, a manor that offers a rare glimpse into post-Conquest livestock records and the booming medieval wool trade.

We delve into the life and legacy of Robert of Mortain, the Conqueror’s quiet but crucial half-brother, and ask what we can learn from his bold wager: 120 ships, pledged to an uncertain invasion. Was it madness, loyalty… or something more strategic?

Plus, a look at how even something as humble as a sheep can reflect centuries of trade — and a reminder that calculated risks, not blind luck, are the engines of real change.

A warm thank you to this week's Patrons: Hermelinda Emelisse Theedom, and Norman. 

Patreon: patreon.com/DomesdayDelving

Cattle Raid: https://books2read.com/u/3LMK21

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we turn our attention to the quiet Devon manor of West Clyst—a small estate with just a handful of tenants and a single named landholder: Wulfgifu, an Anglo-Saxon woman whose name disappears after the Norman Conquest.

Through this brief but revealing entry, we explore what was lost when women like Wulfgifu were written out of history, what ordinary people might have eaten in 1086, and why the silences in our records matter just as much as the words.

A story of ploughs, pottage, and the politics of memory.

This episode was brought to you by: Hermelinda Emelisse Theedom, and Norman. If you want to help them keep making this possible, join the Patreon at: patreon.com/DomesdayDelving

In this episode of Domesday Delving, we explore the powerful and complex town of Taunton, Somerset—a Domesday entry bursting with legal privileges, economic reach, and a population that far exceeded what the record shows. From borough-rights and crime fines to buried lords and bishop-run courts, Taunton shows us what it meant to wield local power in medieval England—and what that still means for us today.

Plus: a deep dive into swineherds, tax biases, and why local control isn't always local accountability.

This episode brought to you by: Hermelinda Emelisse Theedom and Norman. 

Patreon: patreon.com/DomesdayDelving

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 shaped the narrative of conquest — and how it still works today. From medieval tapestries to modern news channels, we ask: who gets to tell the story, and what happens when we only hear one side?