The threat from Wales led to the creation of marcher earldoms centered on which towns?

• A. Hereford, Shrewsbury, Chester
• B. York, Lincoln, Cambridge
• C. Canterbury, Winchester, Bristol
• D. Norwich, Ipswich, Peterborough

Answer: (A)

When England faced Welsh incursions after the Norman Conquest, William the Conqueror established marcher earldoms along the Welsh border to defend the frontier with immediate, local authority. These marcher territories were centered on key border towns that could serve as fortified bases and administrative hubs for controlling the marches. The towns that served this role were Hereford, Shrewsbury, and Chester, in the west and along the border, giving the marcher lords wide powers to fortify the frontier, build castles, and raise troops as needed.

Other regions listed are not on the Welsh frontier: York, Lincoln, and Cambridge lie inland or in the north/east, Canterbury, Winchester, and Bristol are in the south and southwest, and Norwich, Ipswich, and Peterborough are further east. So the marcher centers tied to Wales are Hereford, Shrewsbury, and Chester.