What is a hide in the Anglo-Saxon land measurement?

• A. About 120 acres
• B. About 300 acres
• C. About 60 acres
• D. About 1000 acres

Answer: (A)

In Anglo-Saxon England, a hide was a unit of land used to determine taxation and military obligations. It wasn’t a fixed, exact acreage; instead it represented the amount of land believed to be enough to support a household and provide for a lord’s fyrd (military service). In practice, this concept was often taught as about 120 acres, though the actual size varied with land quality and productivity.

So the best answer is roughly 120 acres because that figure has become the standard classroom estimate for a hide. The other options don’t fit the common understanding: 60 acres is smaller than the usual range, 300 acres is larger than typical for a single hide, and 1000 acres is far too large to be considered a single hide.