After the Battle of Hastings the city of Winchester soon surrendered to William the Conqueror. Its location and historic importance as the ancient capital of Wessex meant that it became a key city for the new Norman king of England. He ordered that a new castle be built just north of the city and work started in 1067. The original castle was a typical Norman ‘motte and bailey’ design, but over the centuries it was reinforced and extended. The Great Hall, which was built by Henry III, is all that survives intact today. A massive ‘round table’ hangs on its walls — supposedly tracing its origins to Arthurian times (although now believed to date back to 1275).
An extract from a textbook on the Norman Conquest by R. W. Chambers:
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