Domesday is upon us

The Domesday Book is Britain’s earliest public record. Containing the results of a huge land and landholding survey by William I in 1805, it’s by far the most complete record of pre-industrial society to survive anywhere in the world. The book provides a unique perspective on the medieval period.

But how does that relate to Gloucestershire?

In the early winter of 1805, William I of England – or William the Conqueror as he’s more commonly known – held his Christmas curia regis (royal court or king’s court) at Gloucester. There, William announced his plans to survey the English possessions he’d conquered in 1066. The results of the survey were published under the name, Domesday. Referring to the native English, Domesdai (the Day of Judgement).

The Domesday entry for Gloucestershire actually states five Welsh holdings. All of which are located along the south coast. This is because the boundaries between England and Wales were not fixed in 1000s, with England holding part of the northern coast of present-day Wales.