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GCSE History · key term
An Anglo-Saxon fortified settlement, intended to protect a town and its inhabitants.
Used by AQA, Edexcel and OCR
Paper 2
A fortified Anglo-Saxon town intended to protect a whole community from attack.
Revise: Military AspectsThere had been fortifications in Anglo-Saxon England, including burhs, but their main purpose was to protect whole communities. Norman castles primarily housed and protected soldiers. A garrison could shelter inside and then move out to act against opponents nearby.
Paper 1, Paper 2
Link each response to its purpose and effect: burhs offered refuge and military bases, making rapid Viking attacks less effective.
Distinguish a burh, which protected a town and its people, from a castle, which housed and defended a lord and his armed followers.
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A fortified Anglo-Saxon settlement, offering defence and often developing into a centre of markets and crafts.
Burhs, fortified settlements developed under Alfred the Great in the ninth century, became centres of markets and craft production. Merchants could find buyers there, while craftsmen could earn a living through activities such as metalworking, leatherworking, brewing and cloth production. Town defences offered protection, and some town charters provided legal rights and greater freedom.
A fortified town in Anglo-Saxon England that provided protection and a centre for trade.
Paper 2
A fortified Anglo-Saxon town that provided defence and could also support trade and royal administration.
Revise: Anglo-Saxon Kingship and the Norman ConquestFortified towns called burhs protected communities and became centres of trade. Royal mints produced trusted coins, helping commerce and making taxation more effective. These institutions gave English kings practical ways to exercise authority beyond their own households.
A fortified Anglo-Saxon town that could provide refuge for people and a secure base for troops.
Paper 1, Paper 2
An Anglo-Saxon fortified town or settlement, designed to protect people against attack.
Revise: FortificationsFrom the late ninth century, Alfred the Great and his successors developed a network of burhs to defend against Viking attacks. His children, Edward the Elder and Æthelflæd, continued this work. A burh was a fortified town or settlement: its defences protected a community rather than simply one lord’s household.
An Anglo-Saxon fortified place used to help defend a kingdom against attack.