What is Domesday Book? At Christmas 1085 William the Conqueror commissioned a great survey to discover the resources and taxable values of all the boroughs and manors in England. He wanted to discover who owned what, how much it was worth, and how much was owed to him as King. It was a massive enterprise, and the record of that survey, Domesday Book, was a remarkable achievement. More at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/domesday.asp?homelink=domesdaybanner1