Routes of English, Series 1, Programme 3 (MP3): France and England

Where better than Hastings to look at the impact of the French on the English language? Melvyn Bragg goes to Hastings, where in 1066 William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold and invaded England. The actual fighting took place in the nearby village of Battle. It was to be the starting point of a long and intense relationship between England and France that continues to this day. The Norman Conquest was not only military but also linguistic, bringing thousands of French words into the language.