The Anglo-Saxon Economy

What was the Anglo-Saxon economy like?

The Anglo-Saxon economy was mostly based on farming, but some trading took place.

What was produced in the Anglo-Saxon economy?

It isn't clear what Anglo-Saxons produced for sale, but it is likely that there was a woollen cloth industry as the country was well-suited to sheep.

• ❖ Arable farming was easier in Anglo-Saxon England than in other parts of Europe.
• ❖ There were over 6,000 mills in the country for grinding grain into flour.

What money was used in the Anglo-Saxon economy?

The silver coins that were used in trading were strictly controlled by the king.

• ❖ They had to be a standard thickness and weight.
• ❖ The stamps that were used to make them were kept in one location that was controlled by the king.
• ❖ There were harsh punishments for counterfeiting (faking) coins.

What imports were in the Anglo-Saxon economy?

There is evidence that Anglo-Saxon England bought goods from other countries.

• ❖ Millstones and whetstones may have been bought from Denmark.
• ❖ Wine was purchased from Normandy.

How did towns help the Anglo-Saxon economy?

Towns were important centres of trade in Anglo-Saxon England. About 5% of the population lived in them by 1066.

• ❖ All trading above a certain amount, by law, had to be conducted in the burhs, so that the king could collect tax on it.
• ❖ The bigger towns tended to have international trading links.

Who did the Anglo-Saxon towns trade with in the economy?

Some towns in Anglo-Saxon England were centres of trade with other countries.

• ❖ London, which grew to 10,000 people, had trade links with Germany, France, Normandy and Flanders.
• ❖ York, which might had an estimated population of 9,000 people, traded with Denmark.

What was traded in the villages in the Anglo-Saxon economy?

Villages tended to consist of isolated farms, containing large extended families, with a manor house (and sometimes a church), built by the thegn.