An overview of the Greater Domesday Book and Little Domesday Book

The Domesday Book, otherwise known as Doomsday Book, Book of Judgement, Liber de Wintonia, Scriptura Thesauri Regis, Liber Judiciarius, and many other English and Latin variants, is one of the most enduring legal and cultural artefact in British history. It was the culmination of a great survey of lands, taxes and lords commissioned by William the Conqueror around Christmas of 1085. Although the preliminary results of the survey were completed around August the following year, the final production of the Great Domesday book was only completed in early 1088.

Contrary to common perception, the Domesday Book actually consists of two manuscripts. The first book, typically referred to as the Great Domesday Book, was written by a single writer and contains the final result of the survey for all counties south of the rivers Tees and Ribble. The second book, referred to as the Little Domesday, includes surveys for three counties, namely, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. There are no clear reasons why the surveys for the latter counties were not included in the first book.

The surviving copies of the Domesday Book are currentlyon displayin the National Archives in south west London. An interactive copy of the Domesday map is also available online courtesy of the University of Hull.