These brief examples show how the five-question framework applies to different site types. They are illustrations of the kinds of analysis expected, not your named OCR site. Your own study will focus on the site your school is using.
| Site Type | What Survives | Why Built Here | Function and Change | Power Message | What Is Missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norman motte-and-bailey castle | Earthwork mound (motte), ditch, bailey outline. Possibly a later stone keep replacing a timber tower. | High ground, command of a river crossing or town, visible symbol of Norman control | Military garrison, then administrative centre, then ruin or country house | Built to overawe the conquered Anglo-Saxon population; many built after 1066 | Original timber buildings, palisade fences, wooden tower on motte, all rotted away |
| Medieval cathedral | Stone structure, many with both medieval and Victorian restored sections; tombs, stained glass, carved details | Bishop's seat of authority in the diocese; often on a site of earlier religious significance | Religious centre, now also a tourist attraction; chapels added by wealthy donors over centuries | Scale and cost demonstrated Church wealth; heraldry and tombs show patron families | Original medieval colour (much medieval stonework was painted); some furnishings destroyed at the Reformation |
| Industrial textile mill | Stone or brick mill building; chimney; engine house; workers' housing nearby | Fast-flowing river for water power (early mills); canal or railway for transport of goods | Production, then storage, then often conversion to flats or offices in the late 20th century | Mill owner's power over workforce visible in architecture: clock tower (workers had to be on time), manager's house adjacent | Original machinery often removed; the lived experience of workers rarely documented |
| Battlefield (e.g. Bosworth Field, 1485) | Landscape only. A survey of the area in the 2000s, using metal detectors, found battle debris (such as shot) that led researchers to place the battle at a different spot from the one long assumed. | Determined by the movement of armies, not chosen as a permanent site | Farmland, now a heritage site; the exact location of the fighting was disputed for centuries | Decisive moment in English history: end of the Wars of the Roses and the start of Tudor rule | Almost everything: the fighting left no permanent structures |
This comparison covers Four Example Sites: Applying the Skills within History Around Us for GCSE History. Revise History Around Us in Component Group 2 — History Around Us for GCSE History with 10 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 10 of 15 in this topic. Use this comparison to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for History Around Us
Describe two features you could identify when visiting a Norman castle site.
Describe two types of physical evidence a historian might find when studying a historical site.