Isle of athelney history book

The site occupies athelney hill, a natural island raised above the surrounding lower lying ground of the somerset levels and moors. The victoria history of the county of somerset lyng, 1911, 99 103. It is best known for once being the fortress hiding place of king alfred the great, from where he went on to defeat the great heathen army at. Synopsis the bestselling and controversial new history of the british isles, including ireland from the author of europe. The isle of man natural history and antiquarian society was founded to share knowledge of all things manx. Appears in 16 books from 18481980 page 334 i had a design, and god may enable me, to set up an university, without much charge, as i have contrived it, which may much oblige the nations round about us. Alfred went on to implement the plans he formulated on athelney island to unite all the kingdoms and is the only english king to be called the great. Only a handful remained with alfred, who hid out in the marshes and swamps on the isle of athelney. There was also found here, in 1693, the celebrated alfred jewel, bearing his name, and preserved in the ashmolean museum at oxford. It provides an insight into how the british isles came to be as we know them, from the roman invasion, through the middle ages, the glorious revolution, two world wars and into the twentyfirst century. Athelney hill, the isle of athelney, is a natural island in the lowlying somerset levels. After athelney abbey was dissolved the monks then built the church in the neighbouring village of east lyng.

In alfreds time, it was surrounded by reeds, woods and scrub, a landscape that changed rapidly from dry land or marsh, to a series of lakes and waterways, depending on the weather. An inscribed pillar commemorating the king was set up in 1801. Very nice susan the time team crew did they first programme on the isle of athelney but without any digging. Athelney is a railway station on a branch of the great western line. This richly layered history begins with the celtic supremacy in the last centuries bc, which is presented in. Written by one of the most brilliant and provocative historians at work today, the isles is a revolutionary narrative history that presents a new perspective on the development of britain and ireland, looking at them not as selfcontained islands, but as an inextricable part of europe. Heritage history childs book of warriors by william canton. The isle of athelney where alfred the great beat the. Published in 1911, this poem follows the battlefrom the gathering of the chiefs to the last war crywith a care to rhythm, sound, and language that makes it a magnificent work of art.

Athelney hill, the isle of athelney, is a natural island in the lowlying somerset. A brief history of british isles linkedin slideshare. The abbey was in existence until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 under king henry viii. Nicholas blakey painted alfred in the isle of athelney c. The name of athelney signifies the isle of princes a. For some little time his eyes rested thoughtfully upon the sinewy. Because of this, the place was called athelney, which means the isle of nobles. To give thanks for his victory, alfred founded athelney abbey on the island in 888.

Message board manx genealogy message board for posting your family history questions. One of the best known stories in english history is that of king alfred and the cakes. Isle of athelney king alfred the greats refuge on the somerset levels when i were a young lad growing up in somerset, one of my earliest lessons at school i remember was the story of king alfred the great, on the run from the viking army, and hiding out on the somerset levels, planning his comeback. It would be great if you could support this project by purchasing a copy. My hometown uk town and village directory for somerset. This book contains the high and low points of the tts history and really brings home the unique nature of the event. A king and his elevenhundredyear afterlife is presented. A good rule of thumb is that if a book on british history compiles the 600 years between the fall of the western roman empire and the norman conquest into only a couple chapters, it isnt a very good book and it is likely to treat potentially legendary accounts such as hengest and horsa as fact and, even worse, will probably adopt the. Asser describes the isle of athelney area as a morass surrounded by reeds. They chose a hill which rose above the surrounding marshes for their camp, and there alfred and his nobles worked like common men, building a strong fort. I actually knew the story of his mother giving him his first book, and the fact that. Isle of man natural history and antiquarian society home.

If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten. In the same year, after easter 23 march, king alfred, with a few men, made a fortress at a place called athelney, and from it with the thegns of somerset he struck out relentlessly and tirelessly against the vikings. Athelney is located between the villages of burrowbridge and east lyng in the sedgemoor district of somerset, england. She asks him to watch her cakes small loaves of bread baking by the fire, but. The isle of athelney is best known for once being the fortress hiding place of king alfred the great, from where he went on to defeat the danes at the battle of eddington in may 878. The ballad of the white horse records the deeds and military accomplishments of alfred the great as he defeats the invading danes at the battle of ethandun. The king alfred the great monument at athelney, somerset levels. Full text of two cartularies of the benedictine abbeys of. For example, i didnt know of him only because of the myth of the burning cakes. Isle of man natural history and antiquarian society, douglas, isle of man. With his long, white, nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle, and rolled back his left shirtcuff. Athelney is where king alfred developed a fortification at easter 878, at a time when wessex had fallen to the vikings, and it was continue reading athelney.

King alfred in the somerset marshes part 1 exploring building. Although the series failed after only six prints covering the period from the britons to the battle of hastings, the plates were bought. Athelney is where king alfred developed a fortification at easter 878, at a time when wessex had fallen to the vikings, and it was from here that alfred set out on the successful reconquest of his kingdom. The book records the number of hides anglosaxon word is hid that comprised a burh. Athelney abbey was converted to a benedictine monastery around ad 960. Anglosaxon occupation site and site of athelney abbey on.

It was the isle of athelney which became alfreds fortress and where. Children are taught the story where alfred is on the run from the vikings, taking refuge in the home of a peasant woman. He lived as a hermit on the island of athelney in the marsh country of somerset, and is known to us through being recorded in the hagiography of the secgan manuscript. Memorial to athelney island, home of alfred the great. Evidence of metalworking on the site suggests that he also used the island to equip his army. King alfreds monument, athelney island, somerset, england.

The area is known as the isle of athelney, because it was once a very low. History society local society helping those wishing to research their manx ancestors. The victoria history of the county of somerset lyng, 1911, 99103. Alfred memorial, athelney free access, memorials victorian memorial on the site of the abbey, said to have been founded by king alfred in 878, on the site of. It explores the victory of alfred the greats fight against the vikings and on the problems that these people has brought to.

The island, known as the isle of athelney, is formed by a long low hill aligned from east to west with two summits separated by a lower saddle of land. I have followed the tt for the last 23 years and wanted to know more about the history and the event which this book covered very well. A series of little books dealing with various branches of use. Manx note book a website dedicated to matters past and present connected to the isle of man. Athelney is a village located between the villages of burrowbridge and east lyng in the. As someone who is perhaps genuinely british by family background english, scottish, welsh with a for someone educated at an english school, this book is a useful corrective to the history taught there. The abbey of athelney, established in the county of somerset, england, was founded by king alfred, a. Originally athelney was a small island in the midst of dangerous morasses in what is now the parish of east ling. Whats the best history book about great britain as well. Relics have been found, including the alfred jewel, now in the ashmolean museum at oxford. Sherlock holmes took his bottle from the corner of the mantelpiece and his hypodermic syringe from its neat morocco case. North petherton, somerset, england, uk, local photographs, 1904 old map, local history, king alfred the great jewel, bridgewater castle, geoffrey chaucer poet, bridgwater to taunton canal, north newton, old photos, huntworth village, 1890 map, sir john popham, isle of athelney, king alfreds fortress, burrow bridge, burrow mump. Full text of two cartularies of the benedictine abbeys of muchelney and athelney in the county of somerset see other formats.

The key historical sources for king alfred are as follows. Memorial to athelney island, home of alfred the great the. The isle of athelney, according to the abbey records, contained about ten acres of arable land and twenty acres of meadow along with part of moor situated on the south side. Archaeological excavations and written evidence indicate that at the time of alfred the island was linked by a causeway to east lyng, with either end protected by a semicircular stockade and ditch.

The isle of athelney, the hidingplace of alfred the great, at the time when the fortunes of england lay trembling in the balance, is a slightly elevated plot of land where the river parret joins the tone. At the time of the domesday book, the abbey was a daughter house of glastonbury abbey. He goes into the history of the isles with a broad brush and the book was and is a pointer to further reading and understanding. It was to be continued for some 250 years after alfreds death and forms one of our most important sources of knowledge for early english history. King alfred in the somerset marshes part 2 exploring building. Later stories arose, as pictured on page one, to amuse generations of english children of alfred disguised as a minstrel playing his harp in the danish camps or disguised as a kitchen boy to a saxon housewife. A history of the british isles by jeremy black, hardcover. This book tells the story of how he came to greatness, dwelling particularly on the time when he was forced to hide in the marshes of athelney, while his viking. Alfred and his men waiters into the sick bug you masses by the isle athelney to escape, they use their local knowledge to follow the secret paths of raised ground to get through. King alfred took refuge from the danes there in 878 and founded a benedictine abbey in 888. A history the literary and financial success of europe. Page 147 the lull title of the see at the present day is bishop of the isle of man, of sodor, of sodor and man, and of sodor of man. This concise and engaging book tells the story of a group of islands, their peoples, and their impact on the rest of the world. Emphasizing our longstanding european connections and positing a possible breakup of the united kingdom, this is agendasetting work is destined to become.