-
1067
The attempt capture of Bristol
In 1067 two of King Harold’s sons landed nearby and tried to capture Bristol but the Bristolians fought them off. William the Conqueror built a wooden fort in Bristol. In the early 12th century it was replaced by a stone castle. -
1140
Foundation of Augustinian canons at Bristol
-
1148
Consecration at Bristol
The Augustinian Abbey at Bristol founded by Robert Fitzharding was consecrated on Easter day in the presence of the Bishops of Worcester, Exeter, St. Asaph and Llandaff. -
1201
Wine, the main import of Bristol
Bristol also benefited when Henry II became King in 1154. As well as being king of England Henry was the ruler of part of South West France. Vast quantities of wine were imported from there into Bristol in the Middle Ages. By the 13th century, wine was the main import in Bristol. In the later Middle Ages wine was imported from Spain and Portugal as well as France. (Wine Street is actually a corruption of Wynch Street). Another important import was woad which was used for dyeing. -
1306
Lady Chapel at Bristol Abbey
The construction of the Lady Chapel at Bristol Abbey took place. -
1348
Bristol touched by the Plague
By the mid-14th century Bristol is considered to have been England's third-largest town (after London and York), with an estimated 15–20,000 inhabitants on the eve of the Black Death of 1348–49. The plague inflicted a prolonged demographic setback, with the population estimated at between 10,000 and 12,000 during the 15th and 16th centuries.