The Norman Conquest is often reduced to the single decisive moment at Hastings in 1066, yet William the Conqueror's hold on England remained precarious for years afterwards. Devon and Exeter played a pivotal role in this contested period. In late 1067 and early 1068, Gytha, mother of the fallen King Harold, fomented rebellion in Exeter, forcing William to besiege the city for eighteen days before a negotiated settlement was reached. The terms – including promises to maintain pre-Conquest taxation levels – reveal the limits of William's power as he faced simultaneous threats across the realm. Exeter's subsequent cooperation with the Crown brought tangible rewards, most notably an impressive royal diploma of 1069 confirming Bishop Leofric's grants to the cathedral chapter. This document, one of only five or six surviving original diplomas of the Conqueror, was deliberately modelled on pre-Conquest precedents, casting William as the rightful heir of Edward the Confessor. Such instruments of legitimation were as integral to the story of the Conquest as the killing fields of Hastings.

Our speaker: Levi Roach studied at the universities of Cambridge and Heidelberg, completing his PhD at the former in 2011. He has published four books on various aspects western European religion and politics in the early and central Middle Ages, including most recently a popular history of the Normans (Empires of the Normans). Since 2012, he has taught at the University of Exeter where he is presently Professor of Medieval History and Diplomatic.