Board: Edexcel | Option: 2A.1 | Paper: 1 (Depth Study)
About this option
Anglo-Saxon England and the Anglo-Norman Kingdom examines the last decades of the Anglo-Saxon state and the transformation of England following the Norman Conquest. Students analyse the political instability of the mid-eleventh century, the rival claims to the throne in 1066, the conquest itself, and the far-reaching changes in landholding, government, the Church, and culture that followed. The depth study structure requires analytical engagement with the causes and consequences of the Conquest rather than narrative treatment.
Key themes
- Late Anglo-Saxon England under Edward the Confessor: the great earldoms, the Church, and the problem of the succession
- The succession crisis of 1066: the rival claims of Harold Godwinson, Harald Hardrada, and William of Normandy
- The conquest: Stamford Bridge, Hastings, and the military and political consolidation of Norman power
- The Norman settlement: the redistribution of land, the replacement of the English aristocracy, and the nature of the feudal settlement
- William I’s government: castle-building, the Domesday Survey, church reform, and the management of the Norman baronage
- The impact on the Church: Lanfranc’s reforms, the Normanisation of the episcopate, and the relationship with Rome
- William II (Rufus) and Henry I: continuity and change in Anglo-Norman kingship to 1106
What the exam asks
Paper 1 depth studies require analytical depth within a defined period, focusing on causation, significance, and historical judgement. Students are expected to engage with historical debate and are rewarded for the ability to challenge or qualify interpretations rather than simply describing events.
Historiography
The Norman Conquest is one of the most debated events in English history:
- Catastrophe or transformation? The debate between those who emphasise the destruction wrought on the Anglo-Saxon ruling class and those who point to significant continuities in law, administration, and local government
- Feudalism and the Conquest: did the Normans introduce a feudal system into England, or was England already moving in this direction? Susan Reynolds’s challenge to the feudalism concept
- The Domesday Book: administrative masterpiece designed to maximise royal revenue, or a broader survey of royal rights and obligations? The ongoing debate about William’s purpose
- Late Anglo-Saxon decline: how far was the conquest possible because of weakness in the late Anglo-Saxon state, and how far was Hastings simply an accident?
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Interpretations pack — coming September 2026
A teaching pack for this option is in development, covering all core historiographical debates. It will include named historians with argument summaries, paired comparison tasks built to Edexcel mark scheme logic, and provenance analysis prompts — all in a downloadable PDF.
£9.99 per pack · Available September 2026
