Why did the Normans think it was necessary to fortify the welsh border?

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Shyam Bhayani

History Coursework

Why did the Normans think it was necessary to fortify the welsh border?

In 1066 William had won the battle of Hastings and become the new King of England.  Wales at the time was a totally different country and was enemy of England. Because both of the countries were enemies the border was a war zone.  The reason that Normans did not like the Welsh is that the Normans felt that the Welsh would threaten the Norman Conquest.  If the Welsh defeated the Normans it would bring a Saxon uprising and the Normans would have to fight the Saxons and could loose England.  

        At this time the Normans were facing many problems. The Normans had two enemies: the Welsh and the Saxons. The Welsh had often raided England and had sometimes taken away cattle and goods from England. There were only 10,000 Normans and 2,000,000 Saxons (Saxons settled in England in the 5th century). So these Normans who were a very small minority had to control the Saxons in England as well as the Welsh.

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        The Normans had a way of keeping control on the border; they had built castles all along the border which the Barons had control of. All of England had belonged to William but the Barons looked after it. The barons on the border would have had a lot more power then the ordinary barons because if they had taken over any land on the other side of the welsh border they could keep it for themselves. This rule had allowed the Barons on the Welsh border to have more power and have their own mini kingdoms and also urge them ...

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