These brief case studies show how the five-question framework applies to different site types. Your own study will focus on a specific local site — these examples illustrate the kinds of analysis expected.
| 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 later stone keep replacing timber tower. | High ground, command of river crossing or town, visible symbol of Norman control | Military garrison → administrative centre → ruin or country house | Built to overawe conquered Anglo-Saxon population; 100s built 1066–1100 | 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 site of earlier religious significance | Religious centre → tourist attraction; chapels added by wealthy donors over centuries | Scale and cost demonstrated Church wealth; heraldry and tombs show patron families | Original medieval colour (virtually all medieval stonework was painted); furnishings destroyed at 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 → storage → conversion to flats or offices in 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; discovery of Richard III's skull wound near Market Bosworth; metal detector finds of cannonballs and battle debris have recently relocated the actual battle site | Determined by strategic movement of armies, not chosen deliberately | Farmland → heritage site; the exact location of fighting was disputed for 500 years | Decisive moment in English history — end of Wars of the Roses, start of Tudor dynasty | Almost everything: the dead were buried or left to decay, the fighting left no permanent structures |
This comparison covers Four 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.