Anglo-Saxon Gardens During the Norman Conquest

The introduction of the Normans in the second half of the 11th century significantly altered The Anglo-Saxon ways of living. The expertise of the Normans surpassed the Anglo-Saxons' in design and agriculture at the time of the conquest. However the Normans had to pacify the whole territory before they could focus on home life, domestic architecture, and decoration. Monasteries and castles served different purposes, so while monasteries were massive stone structures built in only the most fruitful, wide dales, castles were set upon blustery knolls where the residents focused on learning offensive and defensive practices. The calm method of gardening was unlikely in these dreary bastions. Berkeley Castle is perhaps the most unchanged model in existence today of the early Anglo-Norman form of architecture. The keep is said to date from William the Conqueror's time period. As a method of deterring attackers from tunneling underneath the walls, an immense terrace encompasses the building. A picturesque bowling green, covered in grass and enclosed by battlements cut out (siphon info) of an ancient yew hedge, forms one of the terraces.