This lecture will explore the impact upon the English landscape of the civil war of the mid-12th century, popularly known as ‘the Anarchy’, during the turbulent reign of Stephen, King of England (1135–54). Drawing on new research and fieldwork, the lecture will provide an overview of the archaeology of this controversial period, covering castles, siege-castles, churches and settlements, as well as material culture including arms and armour, and question the ‘real’ impact of Stephen’s troubled reign on society and the English landscape.