- William the Conqueror built castles across England after his conquest to control the local populations. Castles evolved over time from wooden motte-and-bailey designs to stone structures with improved defenses like concentric walls and arrow slits. - Pevensey Castle originated as a Roman fort called Anderida but was rebuilt after the Norman invasion as a stone castle. It has changed hands and been rebuilt, expanded, and repaired over the centuries and now serves as an historic tourist attraction. - At the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William of Normandy defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Harold using cavalry charges after weakening the English forces with archers, though his plans went awry when Harold positioned his