Hyde : The Final Burial Place of King

King Alfred died in 899. The End of New Minster The Move To Hyde Although some of his Two hundred years later the monastery was At the time of the move to Hyde predecessors had been the construction of dissolved and the monks from New Minster during the buried in the Old Minster, Cathedral by were pensioned off. The reign of Geoffrey, the the fore-runner of today’s the new Norman regime redundant buildings were king granted another charter to Cathedral, Alfred wanted meant ‘all change’ in very rapidly plundered for the monks of Hyde, whereby, to build a new church in the city centre. The Old their valuable construction amongst other regulations, it was the centre of Winchester as Minster had been brought materials. arranged that a joint procession a resting place for himself down to accommodate the of the monks of St. Swithun Shortly after the and his dynasty. In his will Cathedral and the New and Hyde was to be made year Dissolution the visiting Minster was also standing by year. Their new home was he left ‘fifty pounds to the antiquarian in its way. So, under the speedily ready for occupation church in which I shall rest’. reported: auspices of King Henry and in 1110, the monks of New The ‘New’ Minster, to 1st, land was bought a little ‘All that now remains [of Minster carried with them to contrast it with the ‘Old’, way outside the city (in the Hyde Abbey] are some the Abbey of Hyde, in solemn was completed quickly area known as Hyde) for portions of the walls, a procession, their sacred relics, after Alfred’s death. In the a new abbey church and gateway, and a few small the great gold cross of Cnut’s interim years his body had accompanying monastery door-ways of the fifteenth benefaction, together with the been placed in the Old to be built. century, and some fragments illustrious remains of Alfred, Minster but his unhappy of an earlier period built in his queen and his son. Henry In 1110 a great procession spirit was claimed to walk the neighbouring walls.’ I made several grants to the took the coffins of Alfred, at night in dissatisfaction. abbey, among them the churches Edward, Alswitha and It has continued so Alfred, together with his of Kingsclere and Alton and five other dignitaries across ever since. wife Alswitha who died hides in Alton which William I to Hyde where they were a couple of years later, had given in exchange for land reburied in prominent in the city of Winchester. He were then buried in New positions within the abbey also confirmed to them the right Minster to be followed church. The community of of soc and sac, thol and theam later by their son King Benedictine monks then and other liberties. Edward. followed and remained there until 1538 when From the Victoria County History of

Liber Monasterii de Hyda Three copies of Alfred the Great’s will in Latin, Early English and Middle English

Liber Vitae de Hida Vitae de Hida A projection of the New Minster’s Grant recording the acquisition of view of its history and identity at a land by King of time when Winchester was the centre land on which to build the New of Anglo-Danish . It was Minster circa 901 AD probably commissioned by King Cnut (1016–1035) and shows the King presenting the ‘Gold Cross’ to the New Minster.

Bird’s eye impressions of Hyde Abbey by Nick McPherson