Editing Worcestershire (section)

===Norman Conquest===
{{main|History of Worcestershire#Medieval}}
During the [[Middle Ages]], much of the county's economy was based on the wool trade. Many areas of its dense forests, such as [[Feckenham Forest]], [[Horewell Forest]] and [[Malvern Chase]], were [[Royal forest|royal hunting grounds]] subject to forest law.

After the [[Norman conquest of England]]; the [[Domesday Book]] noted in 1086 that in seven of the twelve [[Hundred (county division)|hundreds]] covering Worcestershire, the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom#English monarchy|Crown]] had no authority. The Crown's authority was replaced by the Bishop of Worcester and the Abbots at Pershore, Westminster and Evesham.<ref>Tinti F.(2010) Sustaining Belief: The Church of Worcester from c.870 to c.1100</ref>

[[William the Conqueror]] gave to his allies and friends [[Manorialism|manors]] and [[parishes]] captured from the Anglo-Saxons.<ref name="Carter">{{Cite book |last=Carter |first=W.F |title=Additions to Grazebrook's 'The Barons of Dudley' |publisher=Chetwynd Papers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Domesday Book Online - Worcestershire E-L |url=http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/worcestershire2.html#halesowen |access-date=11 April 2018 |website=www.domesdaybook.co.uk}}</ref>{{sfn|Mason|1979|p=124}} Despite the Norman Conquest, the rest of the county was still held by the Abbeys of Pershore and Evesham, the [[Bishop of Worcester]] and [[Worcester Cathedral|Priory]].

The first [[Norman conquest of England|Norman]] Sheriff [[Urse d'Abetot]], built the castle of Worcester and seized much church land, some of which became part of the Crown's hundreds in Worcestershire.<ref>Laird, "A Topographical and Historical Description of the County of Worcester" c. 1814; http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/worcs/vol3/pp1-4 British History Online: ''The hundred of Halfshire: Introduction and map'', Pages 1-4. A History of the County of Worcester: Volume 3. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1913.</ref> and was in dispute with the Bishop of Worcester over the rights of the sheriff.<ref name="Intro3">Brooks "Introduction" ''St Wulfstan and His World'' p. 3; Williams "Cunning of the Dove" ''St Wulfstan and His World'' pp. 33–35</ref>

[[Wulfstan (died 1095)|Bishop Wulfstan]] was the last Anglo-Saxon bishop in England, and remained in post until his death in 1095. Under his tenure [[Worcester Cathedral]] began major reconstruction, and he opposed political interventions against William and the Normans. He was later made a saint.