In 787 a local official or reeve in a coastal village in Mercian territory, who had gone to find out who were the strangers who had come ashore from three unknown ships, was slain by the intruders.
The sea, rather than being a defensive wall, was the highway by which successive waves of invaders arrived bringing destruction, insecurity and fear in their wake. To the English people of an earlier period, from around the end of the eighth to the middle of the eleventh centuries, such an idea might well have appeared ridiculous. It is linked to ideas of naval strength and the notion that England has always resisted invaders, safe behind its watery ramparts. Has bitten deep into the English imagination. Shakespeare’s image of the realm of England as: INTRODUCTION The Realm of England and its Neighbours The author shows, in this lucid and enlightening narrative, how the unspoken aim of successive monarchs was to begin to build 'the wall' of England, its naval defences, with a success which was to become so apparent in later centuries. The design and building of ships and harbour facilities, the development of navigation, ship handling, and the world of the seaman are all described, while comparisons with the navies of England's closest neighbours, with particular focus on France and Scotland, are made, and notable battles including Damme, Dover, Sluys and La Rochelle included to explain the development of battle tactics and the use of arms during the period. The sea, rather than being a defensive wall, was a highway by which successive waves of invaders arrived, bringing destruction and fear in their wake.Deploying a wide range of sources, this new book looks at how English kings after the Norman Conquest learnt to use the Navy of England, a term which at this time included all vessels whether Royal or private and no matter what their ostensible purpose to increase and safety and prosperity of the kingdom.
To the English of an earlier period from the 8th to the 11th centuries such a notion would have seemed ridiculous. We are accustomed to think of England in terms of Shakespeare's 'precious stone set in a silver sea', safe behind its watery ramparts with its naval strength resisting all invaders.
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