House of Wessex
The Impact of the Vikings on Churches in Wessex
Hampshire and its neighbouring counties of Berkshire and Wiltshire were at the core of West Saxon Wessex when the Viking raids swept through. The emerging Christian churches were attacked and the fragile shoots of the new religion stamped upon.
Read MoreUntangling the Early Church in Hampshire (Part 1)
Hampshire has a great number of early churches, a number of which still have vestiges of their Anglo Saxon origins peeping through the structure.
Read MoreThe Mysteries of Wymering Manor
Wymering Manor in Portsmouth is one of Hampshire’s oldest and allegedly, most haunted houses. From the outside it presents a bit of a sorry state and its exterior belies its ancient past but it is a house full on intrigue and mystery.
Read MoreKing Alfred’s Will
The will of King Alfred is a rare beast, only one other will of an Anglo Saxon king has survived
Read MoreKing Alfred the Great, May He Finally Rest?
King Alfred the Great, his final resting place uncertain for so many years, could it finally have been resolved? The Winchester Uni team have some answers. To be revealed in a documentary in January 2014
Read MoreCorhampton Church and King Cnut
A possible link between Corhampton church and King Cnut The Anglo Saxon church is awash with historical gems and it’s interesting to consider some of the connections made between its architecture and artefacts and other events that occurred in its long history. Go to the northern side of the church and look at the blocked…
Read MoreNunnaminster Winchester
Nunnaminster in Winchester was the Saxon abbey founded in 903AD by King Alfred and his wife Ealhswith. It was a wooden structure re-built in stone and then enlarged by the Normans.
Read MoreRomsey Abbey
Romsey Abbey is an imposing Romanesque church and once one of the most important ecclesiastical sites in England. It’s Abbesses came from royal and high status families and before the black death amassed great wealth.
Read MoreSt Nicholas Church Bishop’s Sutton
The church of St Nicholas Bishop’s Sutton is a simple and beautiful church sitting at the headwaters of the River Arle
Read MoreAnglo Saxon Women – Frithburga
The grave cover for the Anglo Saxon women Frithburga, which can be seen in All Hallows church Whitchurch is a very lovely and special object
Read MoreHayling Priory
Hayling Island Priory has long since disappeared without trace but the history of it’s links with the French abbey of Jumièges is well documented and an intriguing part of Hampshire history
Read MoreMystery of King Alfred’s Final Resting Place
The mystery of King Alfred’s final resting place may be closer to being resolved as St Bartholemew’s church at Hyde prepares to ask for permission to exhume and identify the bones in an unmarked grave at the church.
Read MoreKing Alfred and The Vikings
King Alfred’s life was dominated by the incessant attacks by the Vikings but how did Alfred succeed in defeating them when so many other kings had failed and did that defeat then propel him to become King of all England.
Read MoreWherwell Abbey
The quintessentially English village of Wherwell has played an important part in the history of the county of Hampshire, hidden beneath its meadows is the Abbey of Wherwell, established in the C10th century as a form of penance by Queen Elfrida
Read MoreHampshire The Oldest Shire in England
Over a thousand years ago, Hampshire held the seat of power in England. It is the first of England’s shires to appear in the historical record, ‘The AngloSaxon Chronicle’. AD 757, it tells us that the councillors of the West Saxons; ‘deprived Sigeberht of his kingdom, except for Hampshire.’ Hampshire as a unit of government is…
Read MoreCenwalh Anglo Saxon King
Winchester became the heart of the kingdom of Wessex thanks to the dynasty of the early Saxon king Cerdic but it was Cenwwalh, who, on converting to Christianity, established Winchester as an ecclesiastical centre whose force was felt throughout northern Europe.
Read MoreHamwic, Hampshire’s Anglo Saxon Port
Hamwic was one of the principal trading towns in north west Europe through Anglo Saxon times and beyond
Read MoreOld Minster Winchester
The Old Minster Winchester was one of the most important religious houses and places of pilgrimage in the late Anglo Saxon period. It was the initial resting place of King Alfred the Great and the place where King Canute and Edward the Confessor were crowned.
Read MoreDanes Attack Wessex Towns AD 1001
In AD 1001, the Danes attacked several Hampshire towns burning them to the ground.
Read MoreWhat is a Hampshire Hog?
People of Hampshire are colloquially referred to as ‘Hampshire Hogs’ a reference to the Hampshire Pig which was bred out of the wild boar that roamed the New Forest a thousand years ago
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