Step back into Anglo-Saxon Wantage!

Round & About

Local history researcher James Mitchell invites you to learn about King Alfred with a walk on Sunday, 14^th September

Was King Alfred the Great really born in a lost royal palace in Wantage?

Local history researcher James Mitchell is inviting people to explore this fascinating question in guided walking tours tracing the Anglo-Saxon roots of the town.

The one-hour tours, entitled King Alfred’s Lost Wantage Palace uncover the possible sites where Alfred, the most famous of Anglo-Saxon leaders, might have been born in 849 AD.

Along the way, participants will discover Wantage’s history (with strong connections to both Robin Hood and Dick Whittington) from pre-Roman to Victorian times, but with a special focus on the Anglo-Saxon period.

“Wantage is steeped in history,” says James. ‘These walks are a chance to step back into the past, to imagine where King Alfred might have first seen the light of day, and to picture what the royal palace

might have looked like.

A palace fit for a king.

Although no trace of the building remains today, historians believe that the site of the Royal Palace would have been carefully chosen. A typical royal Anglo-Saxon palace would have required:

A secure defensive site, protected by earthworks or a Saxon ditch.

A fresh water supply close at hand.

Proximity to a religious establishment, essential at a time where church and crown were

intertwined.

The walks consider these factors and explore the most likely locations in and around

Wantage.

Event details:

Date: Sunday 14^th September (watch this space & see your October mag for November dates, too).

Times: 11am and 1 pm (groups limited to 20 – early booking advised)

Duration: Approx. one hour (easy walking)

Meeting Point: King Alfred’s Statue, Market Place, Wantage, OX12 8AT.