Domesday: 1,000 miles on foot through the England of the Norman Conquest

by Max Adams

Bloomsbury presents Domesday, written and read by Max Adams.

The Domesday Book describes the furniture of a culture and its economy – the legacy of Anglo-Saxon England.

When King William I sent his agents to survey every shire in England, he asked them to list his holdings and calculate what was owed to him. The manuscript record of the resulting ‘Great Survey’ is not just a tax record, but a unique window onto the structure of English administration and economy before and immediately after the Norman its shires and hundreds, acres, hides and townships.

In Domesday, Max Adams retreads the path taken in 1085 by King William I’s agents, taking us on foot through the very sites covered by one of the most iconic documents of English history. In this fascinating new history, Adams explores this unique portrait of a land and its people, bringing the past into intimate contact with the present.

Adams brings us face to face with this legacy in his wanderings through Domesday’s landscape, evoking eleventh-century England through contemporary eyes with the original account as his guide. Bringing together archaeology, contemporary chronicles and historical geography, Adams fleshes out the landscapes of a thousand years ago, peopling them with real lords, thegns, villeins, cottars and slaves; with the millers, turners, priests and burgesses who yielded their taxes and labour to new, Norman lords. In meeting their modern counterparts – shopkeepers, farmers, craftspeople and local officials – Max casts reflective light on Englishness and the English landscape; on our ongoing relations with tax, law and authority; and with the past.

Genres: Medieval History

Audible Audio

Expected publication September 3, 2026

About the author

I am an archaeologist, woodsman and traveller. I live in the North-east of England where I write about landscape and history. My next non-fiction work, to be published in Autumn 2017, is called Alfred's Britain - a history and archaeology of the British Isles in the Viking Age. The King in the North has been a non-fiction bestseller since its publication. In the Land of Giants, my latest non-fiction book, is a series of journeys, mostly on foot, through Dark Age landscapes.

In May 2016 I published my first novel, The Ambulist.

Reviews

[tash · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and apollo for providing me with this arc of max adams’s domesday

i did enjoy it but not as much as i hoped. adams using modern day examples of where the domesday book covered (e.g. mentioning shops and cafes that are in each area now) helps us to place the history in the contemporary context. plus, i liked how adams includes more than just maps as photos

however, i think the main thing that made this such a chore for me to read was that i have already learnt a lot about the domesday book and the wider period. i was taught about it in year 7 (aged 11/12), and then revisited it in university for my education placements, so i feel like i know enough to find that this book doesn’t go in as much depth as i wanted it to

i also felt like adams’s writing style is too descriptive for a historical book; i didn’t care that he had blisters while walking through lincolnshire, i cared more about how the domesday book reflected what life was like in 1060s england. the way it’s laid out is for every chapter which talks about adams’s walks through each area, there’s a chapter on the context in a particular time period; although it’s great that this is done, the information included in the “sign of the times” chapters should’ve been more incorporated in the area chapters

on that note, there was no clear path of where adams was going, in that it felt like he just went to random places in england as opposed to actually following a journey. plus, the chapter placements don’t make sense; in chapter 3, he talks about walking around yorkshire, then in sign of the times 4, he goes on to talk about peterborough and the fens (which is cambridgeshire mostly), and then he goes on to talk about gloucester in chapter 4. no sense was made here. i get it was done in terms of when (i.e. the months and year) adams went to the places, but i think it would’ve been better if it was done based on geography as opposed to dates

[Donna's Book Addiction Book review Arc Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: Domesday by Max Adams
Publication Date: 3 September 2026
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Domesday is a richly immersive and thought-provoking journey through one of the most pivotal moments in English history. Max Adams masterfully bridges past and present, transforming what could have been a dense historical subject into a vivid, accessible, and deeply engaging narrative.
At its core, this book is far more than a study of the Domesday Book. It is a physical and intellectual retracing of the footsteps taken during the great survey of 1085, bringing the landscape of Norman England to life in a way that feels immediate and tangible. By walking the same ground, Adams creates a unique sense of connection between modern readers and the people who lived, worked, and endured during this transformative period.
What stands out most is the way Adams humanises history. The figures recorded in the Domesday Book—lords, villeins, cottars, and craftsmen—are no longer distant entries in a ledger but real individuals whose lives shaped the structure of England as we know it today. Through a blend of archaeology, historical geography, and contemporary observation, the narrative gains both depth and texture.
The comparisons between past and present are particularly compelling. By weaving in encounters with modern communities, Adams invites reflection on how much has changed—and how much has remained fundamentally the same—especially in relation to land, authority, and social structure.
Beautifully written and meticulously researched, Domesday offers both intellectual substance and narrative flow. It is an absorbing read for history enthusiasts and an accessible entry point for those looking to better understand the legacy of the Norman Conquest and its enduring impact on English identity.
A fascinating, insightful, and highly rewarding exploration of England’s past—one that lingers long after the final page.

[Amy Appleby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of an advance copy of the book received via NetGalley.

Review: Domesday by Max Adams

Subtitle: 1000 Miles on Foot Through the England of the Norman Conquest

In Domesday, historian and traveller Max Adams embarks on a literal and temporal journey. By walking 1,000 miles across England, Adams attempts to reconcile the "Great Survey" of 1086 with the modern landscape. It is a dual narrative: part rugged travelogue and part forensic historical analysis of how William the Conqueror’s administration reshaped a nation.

The standout quality of this book is its extraordinary sense of place. Adams’ writing is deeply immersive; you can almost feel the mud on your boots and the wind off the hills as you follow him from village to village. He succeeds in doing what many historians fail to do: he humanises the past.

While the travel elements provide the framework, the historical insights are where the book truly shines.

• The History: Adams expertly deconstructs the compilation of the Domesday Book, making the administrative genius (and ruthlessness) of the Normans feel urgent and relevant.

• The Travel: While the walking segments are atmospheric, readers who are more interested in the "why" of history rather than the "where" of hiking may find themselves eager to get back to the 11th-century analysis.

Domesday is an educational and deeply evocative read. Even if you prefer the scholarly history over the modern-day trail notes, Adams’ ability to connect the two makes for a unique perspective on the Norman Conquest. It is a reminder that history isn't just something that happened in books—it’s something we walk over every day.

[Rachel N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully timed for the arrival of the Bayeaux Tapestry on English soil for the first time in almost 1000 years, Max Adams’ new book tells of the years following the Norman Conquest of 1066 and the creation of the Domesday Book. The Domesday book is, of course, a treasure trove of information about the English lands at the time and Adams’ premise is to complete a 1000-mile trek around the places mentioned and to recount what lies there now and what influences may still be seen.

The history is very well laid out, as you’d expect from Adams who is an expert in the period but also talks about what was there before and what has been there in the intervening time. It builds a fascinating portrait of how the country developed, the impact of the conquest but also the agricultural and industrial revolutions that followed and how it has all shaped what we are today.

The surprise to me, though, was how lovely the travel writing is. The descriptions of the countryside, the sights, sounds and smells around him particularly as he avoids the beaten track, were beautifully done and underline the fact that there is much around us that we take for granted. I found that I didn’t want to rush this book, there is so much information to take in but also so many lovely descriptions to enjoy, that I took my time and enjoyed the trip alongside him. This was such an enjoyable way to learn more about a fascinating subject so highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.