The Middle Ages in Britain ran roughly from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the start of the Tudor period in 1485. It was an age of feudalism — peasants worked the land of lords who in turn owed military service to the king — but also of growing royal authority, expanding towns, a new wool trade, and the rise of universities at Oxford and Cambridge.
Further reading: an editorial guide on this topic opens in a new window for additional context.
The period was marked by repeated wars: with the Welsh princes (annexed by Edward I), with Scotland (the Wars of Independence under Wallace and Bruce), with France (the Hundred Years' War), and with the Crusades in the Middle East. The Black Death of 1348 killed perhaps a third of the population and accelerated the end of serfdom.
You may be asked when the Middle Ages began and ended, what feudalism was, or what the Black Death was.
Test yourself on this topic
These questions from the official-format question bank cover the same material. Tap any question to see the correct answer and a short explanation.
Keep going
- Read the full study notes for British History.
- Try a practice test on this chapter.
- Sit a full 24-question timed mock.
- Browse the complete library of topic explainers.
Related topic explainers
A Short History of UK General Elections
From the Reform Acts to the rise of universal suffrage and the modern political parties.
Nineteenth-Century Cultural Figures
Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Thomas Hardy and the Brontë sisters — Britain's great Victorian writers and thinkers.
The Vikings in Britain
Raiders, traders and settlers from Scandinavia, the Danelaw, and the long struggle that ended in 1066.
Kings and Queens: A Quick Reference
A short list of the monarchs every Life in the UK candidate should be able to place.