King Alfred and Athelney

12 EVERGREEN Spring 2014 EVERGREEN 13 thelney is located between a bookmarker for one of his the villages of Burrowbridge translations, it bears the inscription, A and East Lyng in the “Aelfred mec heht gewyrcan” Sedgemoor district of Somerset. (“Alfred had me made”). The area is known as the Isle of The Isle of Athelney is best known Athelney because it was once a for once being the fortress hiding very low isolated island in the “very place of Alfred, from where he went great swampy and on to defeat the impassable marshes” King Alfred and Danes at the Battle of The view from the Athelney Monument towards Burrow Mump. of the Somerset Edington in May 878. Levels. Much of the Athelney As a youngster I knees by the ferocity of the Vikings to be a mark of the king’s greatness Levels are below was brought up on and had to go into hiding in the that he didn’t reveal who he was sea level. They are now drained for stories such as Alfred the Great and impenetrable Somerset Levels with even at this humiliating moment, agricultural use during the summer, the burning of the cakes. In times just a handful of his loyal followers. didn’t attempt to assert authority and but are regularly flooded in the gone by most people probably would It was whilst he was in hiding instead took the humbling in good winter. have been aware of this tale, without in the Levels that the legend of heart and firmly on the chin. Athelney is around six miles from perhaps knowing where it was alleged the burning of the cakes occurred, Unfortunately the account does North Petherton, where the Alfred to have taken place. Nowadays, sadly, when a troubled and preoccupied not have 9th-century provenance Jewel (an Anglo-Saxon ornament fewer people are probably even aware Alfred took his eye off the cakes with the earliest manuscript that dating from the late 9th century) was of the story itself. that were baking over a fire and was recounts the burning of the loaves discovered in 1693. This jewel offers I have always found this story an admonished by the Saxon peasant (which later became “cakes” in an a unique insight into the high quality immensely inspiring one, of how woman, who had taken him in and early game of Chinese Whispers) not of craftsmanship at the court of King our only English king to merit the shown him hospitality, as her cakes appearing until some 100 years after Alfred the Great. Possibly originally epithet “Great” was brought to his went up in flames. It was alleged Alfred’s death. 14 EVERGREEN Spring 2014 EVERGREEN 15 the time of Alfred the island was linked by a causeway to East Lyng, with either end protected by a semi- circular stockade and ditch. The ditch on the island is now known to date from the Iron Age. It is therefore presumed that the Isle was known by (continued) Alfred to have been an ancient fort and that he strengthened its existing The whole tale may be no more defences. Evidence of metalworking than a myth, but it illuminates a on the site suggests that he also used greater truth: of the humbled king, the island to equip his army. facing ruin and possible death, but somehow rising again against the odds and finally riding out of his Playing fortified camp at Athelney, meeting Out up with his devoted people once more, and facing the Viking horde at Edington in Wiltshire just 50 days after he’d first sought refuge at In and out of cobbled streets, Athelney. Who could not fail to be We hid in those dark ginnels. inspired? Played hopscotch, marbles The country around Athelney was And tin-can squash. The Athelney Monument, the site of Alfred the Great’s refuge and later of Athelney Abbey. ideal for guerrilla warfare. According We sat on flags under to Bishop Asser it was surrounded Street lamps till Mum When translated from the Abbey was dissolved the monks then by reeds and thickets and abounded Shouted us in for bed. Anglo-Saxon, the name of the Isle, built the church in the neighbouring with wildlife and marsh birds. Punts Sometimes we`d pinch “Æthelinga íeg”, is often thought village of East Lyng. There are no were the only reliable way of getting Mum`s washing line; all the to mean the “Island of Princes”; if remains of the monastery above Kids skipped in our street. about, for the whole area changed We climbed trees, explored caves, correct this might suggest that the ground, but excavations were from swamp to lagoon according to Built camps and paddled in the river. island had royal connections prior carried out as part of the first and the rainfall and the tides. Even today We didn’t play out on Sundays, to Alfred. It is certainly a place that one-hundredth Time Team television floods can make this part of West We dressed in our best cotton frocks, is now forever associated with the archaeology programmes. Somerset inaccessible. In 878 AD Grey flannels, polished our shoes heroic figure of Alfred the Great. A small monument on top of the it was almost impenetrable. From And went to church. To give thanks for his victory, Isle marks the monastery’s location. this compelling place was launched The older end would smile, Alfred founded a monastery, Built by Sir John Slade, first of the the salvation of Alfred’s kingdom of Because we were clean bonnie kids. Athelney Abbey on the Isle in 888, Slade baronets, in 1801, on the site Wessex and indeed of Anglo-Saxon We put a penny in the collection box, which lasted until the Dissolution of of a stone vault, it is a Scheduled And said a prayer for the best England. Mum and Dad in the world. the Monasteries under Henry VIII in Ancient Monument and Grade II Archaeological excavations and MARGARET MAGUIRE 1539, when the value of the rubble listed building. The monument is written evidence indicate that at was put at £80. After Athelney now on private land belonging to 16 EVERGREEN Spring 2014 EVERGREEN 17 village of Burrowbridge in Taunton the River Parrett, with the historic Deane, Somerset. This is another area of the Isle of Athelney located Scheduled Ancient Monument with towards the western part of the ruins on the top dating from the 18th village. The King Alfred Inn is a century. Both words, “Burrow” and family-run pub/restaurant. At the “Mump”, mean hill. heart of this historic rural Somerset You get a real feel for the Levels village, this delightful pub offers a from these isolated hilltops sticking varied snack and lunch menu as well out above the low-lying flooded land, as Sunday lunches and an extensive which naturally became defensible evening menu. All meats used are positions or places of worship. from animals reared in Somerset. Having climbed to the monument at The bar is warm and inviting with Athelney, it was time to also climb open fires during the winter months. to the top of the Mump. There is a After an exhausting but compelling link between the two sites exhilarating time climbing to the as the Mump probably served as a Athelney Monument and to the natural outwork to the defended royal top of Burrow Mump, this is the island of Athelney at the end of the perfect place to repose for a while 9th century, with a lookout probably and try to take in what all this means: gazing out over the labyrinth of that hereabouts some of the most marsh and reed beds searching for significant and heroic events of the any sign of a Viking advance. Dark Ages occurred, events that The village of Burrowbridge, with the Appropriately in the village of were to save the nation that we know Burrow Mump in the background. Burrowbridge there is a King Alfred today as England. Inn situated next to the bridge over STEVE ROBERTS the monument there marking the site of the abbey and, one presumes, the location of Alfred at his lowest Fun with Puns! ebb, is some moment and one I will Astronomers usually take a Sirius approach to their work. (continued) never forget. If you cannot master the piano maybe it’s not your forte. Athelney Farm and, although visible It’s only a stubby monument that from a layby off the A361, is not marks the location of the monastery A dog with laryngitis soon disembarks. generally accessible to the public. today, but this place was chosen for Baker’s shops usually have a morning roll call. It was a very great thrill, therefore, the monastery as it had once been A plasterer gets paid for services rendered. to have been able to walk right up his hiding place and as such the last Visit a cathedral and feel in-spired. to the monument when on a visit to place in his kingdom of Wessex that People living in remote hill areas often communicate via moors code. Somerset with my wife, after a small he could actually claim to rule. © DAVID S.WILLCOCKS amount of courteous negotiation From the monument can be seen Many similar puns can be enjoyed in David’s Book of Nonsense with the landowner. To actually Burrow Mump, a hill and historic site (62pp, paperback, £9.50 inc. p&p from davidsbookofnonsense.com) stand atop the Isle of Athelney with overlooking Southlake Moor in the .

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