The date is November 1086. The work on the Domesday Book is complete and while written in Latin, it contains Old English words and phrases that don't have a Latin equivalent so William has vowed to try learning English. Again.

It's true that William attempted to learn English several times but wasn't very good at it. His Father was a Duke but his mother wasn't nobility, hence his nickname 'William the Bastard'. He was illegitimate. His wife was called Matilda and he had nine kids. His eldest was indeed called Robert Short Trousers. He was promised the crown by his cousin Edward.

The battle was just inland from Hastings, at a place now called Battle (see picture 1 below of Battle Abbey). Inventive eh? He did have a fire during his Coronation. Set by his soldiers when they thought it was kicking off inside.

He is responsible for building the White Tower which is now known as the Tower of London (see picture 3 below). He built a lot of castles, as listed in the podcast. He did get dysentry in Dover and if he'd died, we would have had an entirely different history!

He loved hunting and cleared the New Forest of two thousand people so he could hunt there. He is responsible for the Domesday Book which was an attempt to audit assets in his new country.

We get a lot of words for animals that are ready to eat from the French language. The Bayeaux Tapesty (see picture 2 below) wasn't made in Bayeaux and it's not technically a tapestry. It should really be called the Canterbury Embroidery but who's going to change it now?

If you want to find out more about William, check out the sources and places below:

Penguin Monarchs Series: William I - Marc Morris

The English Monarchs Series: William the Conqueror - David Bates

The White Tower/Tower of London

Great blog showing London sites to visit from William's reign