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Three investigations from published historian Simon A. Williams. From £6.99. Instant PDF download.
Study Guides
The Histories and Castles Academy
The Histories and Castles Academy
Medieval History Study Guides That Actually Argue Something
Investigations into power, law, and who the medieval system really served. Built for students who want more than their textbook gives them.
£6.99
From
Most revision gives you facts.
These give you arguments.
Each study guide is a fully argued historical investigation built for students studying Medieval History. Written to the standard of published scholarship, with named historians, primary sources you can quote directly, and analytical frameworks your examiner will recognise. Not a summary. Not a timeline. The kind of historical thinking that separates a Level 4 answer from a Level 5.
- The central argument your textbook doesn't make, with the evidence to support it
- Named historians with their positions explained, so you can use them correctly in essays
- Three primary sources per guide, with structured analytical questions and guidance
- A-Level essay questions written to specification, with full mark scheme commentary at every level
- Relevant to AQA, OCR, Edexcel, and WJEC medieval England units
England's Jewish community, 1066–1290
Servants of the Royal Chamber
England didn't just expel its Jewish community in 1290. It built a legal framework that made expulsion possible, and then used it. This investigation examines the servi camerae regis designation, the machinery of the Exchequer of the Jews, the York massacre of 1190, and Edward I's edict, asking a single question: was the expulsion a betrayal of the law, or its logical conclusion?
The Church's legal world
Most popular
The Neck Verse
Fifteen words of Latin. The difference between the gallows and a branding iron. This investigation examines how the Church carved out a separate legal jurisdiction inside England: who it protected, how it worked in practice, and who it was never designed to help. From the Durham sanctuary knocker to the murder of Thomas Becket to the Middlesex assize records of 1614.
England | 1079–1217
The King's Deer
This investigation examines Forest Law not as royal excess but as a designed legal instrument: who built it, how it worked in practice, and what it reveals about whose interests the medieval legal system was constructed to serve. Five acts trace the full arc of Forest Law from William I's New Forest in 1079 to the Charter of the Forest in 1217.
These study guides are right for you
A good fit if you are...
- ✓ An A-Level student studying medieval England who wants an argument to make, not just facts to recall
- ✓ Preparing for an essay question on royal authority, law and society, or Church and Crown
- ✓ Someone who can describe what happened but struggles to explain whose interests it served
- ✓ Interested in British history, Welsh history, or the social history of ordinary people
- ✓ A student who wants to walk into the exam with a named historian, a primary source quote, and a line of analysis their classmates don't have
- ✓A teacher or tutor looking for investigation material that goes beyond the set textbook
Probably not a fit if you want...
- – A condensed summary of everything on your specification
- – Revision flashcards or bullet-point notes
- – A guide that covers the whole medieval period in one document
- – Content written at GCSE level or below
- – A study aid that tells you what to think rather than how to argue
ENGLAND, 1066–1290
Servants of the Royal Chamber
£6.99
One-time purchase. No subscription.
- Full PDF investigation, instant download
- 10 key terms, 3 primary sources, 3 historians
- Three A-Level essays with mark scheme guidance
- Download and keep forever
ENGLAND, 1066–1827
The Neck Verse
£6.99
One-time purchase. No subscription.
- Full PDF investigation, instant download
- 11 key terms, 3 primary sources, 4 historians
- Three A-Level essays with mark scheme guidance
- Download and keep forever
ENGLAND, 1079–1217
The King's Deer
£6.99
One-time purchase. No subscription.
- Full PDF investigation, instant download
- 16 key terms, 3 primary sources, 6 historians
- Three A-Level essays with mark scheme guidance
- Download and keep forever
Want all three? A complete bundle is coming soon. Browse all digital guides →
What format are the guides and how do I read them?
Each guide is a PDF. After purchase you receive a download link by email. PDFs open on any device: phone, tablet, desktop, or Kindle. No app required.
Are these revision guides or something different?
Something different. A revision guide summarises content you have already studied. These investigations build a historical argument from the ground up, with primary sources, named historians, and analytical questions throughout. They are designed to give you something to say in an essay, not just something to remember.
Can I quote the primary sources in an exam?
Yes. Every source in the guides is a genuine historical document. The analytical questions are designed specifically to help you use them accurately and effectively in assessed essays.
Will this cover everything on my specification?
No, and it is not designed to. Each guide is a focused investigation into one topic. It goes considerably deeper than a textbook on that topic, which is where its value lies. It works alongside your course materials, not instead of them.
Are these suitable for teachers and tutors?
Yes. The source analysis sections and essay questions with mark scheme guidance can be used directly in teaching. The historiography sections are structured for classroom discussion as well as independent study.
Can I use these if I am not sitting an exam?
Yes. The exam material sits on top of genuine historical investigation, so the core reading works for anyone studying or teaching medieval history at any level, or for a general reader who wants more rigour than a textbook offers.
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