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Teachers' Notes

Resource created by Kirklees Museums and Galleries

Curriculum links: KS2 History: “Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons” and “the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England” 

Context: 

After the Romans left Britain around 410 AD, life in many parts of the country changed significantly. In regions such as West Yorkshire, small kingdoms including Elmet developed. People continued farming and local traditions, and Christianity, first introduced during Roman times, remained important in some communities. 

By the early 600s, powerful Early Medieval kingdoms expanded their control across northern England. Many people gradually converted from pagan beliefs to Christianity, which shaped daily life and led to the building of churches and religious monuments. Carved stone crosses and grave markers from this period, often found near later churches, show how religion became central to community life. 

From the late 800s, Viking settlers arrived in parts of England, including Yorkshire. Although their main centres were elsewhere, their influence spread widely through farming, trade, craftsmanship, and language. Many local place names with Old Norse origins reflect this lasting impact. Together, Early Medieval and Viking cultures shaped the landscape and communities of West Yorkshire. 

Learning objectives: 

  • Know key facts about the Early Middle Ages and Viking periods in Britain 
  • Identify examples of Early Medieval and Viking heritage in local place names and archaeological finds 
  • Describe daily life, including religion, farming, and community living, during the Early Middle Ages and Viking periods 

Discussion and Activity Ideas: 

  • Literacy: Describe what daily life might have been like in an Early Medieval village in Kirklees.
  • Reading: As a class, read Anglo-Saxon Boy by Tony Bradman.
  • Disciplinary Skills: Use a map to study local place names and research what they reveal about Anglo-Saxon and Viking settlement.
  • Art: Create a model of an Early Medieval wattle and daub house using natural materials such as sticks and clay.

Heritage is…

  • Citizenship: People relied on farming, crafts, and shared beliefs to support their communities. How did cooperation help Early Medieval villages survive?
  • EDI: Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Viking cultures lived alongside each other over time. Do people have the right to keep their language and traditions even when new groups arrive?
  • Religion and Ethics: Beliefs shaped how people lived, worked, and treated one another. Why do shared beliefs matter to communities, both in the past and today?

Glossary: 

  • Anglo-Saxons – Peoples known as the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes who settled in England between the 5th and 11th centuries. 
  • Brigantes – A Celtic tribe who lived in northern England before and during Roman times. 
  • Danelaw – An area of England under Viking control during the 9th and 10th centuries. 
  • Domesday Book – A survey of land and property in England completed in 1086. 
  • Elmet – A small Celtic kingdom in what is now West Yorkshire after the end of Roman rule. 
  • Pagans – People who followed pre-Christian religious beliefs. 
  • The Dark Ages – A term sometimes used to describe the period after Roman rule, marked by political change and migration.