There he stands and has done for a over century, King Alfred the Great, his sword arm raised high – surveying and guarding his great capital of Winchester from his viewpoint – up the High Street to the Castle. King Alfred’s statue stands where the East Gate did in his reign, Majestic and heroic, a statue erected by the citizens of Winchester in 1899 to mark a thousand years since he died. Although this city can trace its history back to pre Roman times, it was his creation to a large extent. The street pattern King Alfred established is still there today.
Here was the foundation of England. The statue was designed by Sir William Hamo Thornycroft R.A. 1850-1925. He was the son of sculptors, Thomas Thornycroft and his wife Mary. His grandfather, Francis Thornycroft, was also a famous sculptor. Hamo, as he was known, studied at the Royal Academy and won their Gold Medal in 1876. He is responsible for the design of many London statues, including Cromwell. King Alfred was the one who burned the cakes! (Well that is the story!) But his achievements were many, he was not called “The Great” for nothing. He was crowned King of Wessex and died as King of England, or more accurately King of the Anglo Saxons. He was born the son of Ethelwulf and Osburgh at Wantage in 849. He succeeded his brother Ethelred of Wessex who was killed in the battle of Merton in 871. King Alfred inhereited a kingdom in turmoil as were the other English kingdoms. Vikings invaded at will. No one was safe.
Bands came storming in from the sea and erupted from the rivers to ransack and loot towns, villages, churches and abbeys. They overran and settled areas of the country. The new king set out to try and stop them. No easy task. He led from the front, an intelligent and courageous leader. Fortifications were rebuilt, some were old forts from the Bronze and Iron Age. Harepaths – the way of the Warriors – were constructed or refurbished throughout Wessex so that bodies of troops could be moved quickly from place to place. Rivers became highways where possible. The system of boroughs or burghs, towns that were fortified, were created throughout the kingdom. No place was more than 20 miles from a fortification in Wessex. He improved and modernised the Navy to meet the Vikings at sea. Beacons were set up on the coast to warn of approaching raids. At one point the only English kingdom to survive was Wessex. All others had fallen to the Vikings.
With ups and downs, victories and defeats over many years the Vikings were eventually vanquished by King Alfred and they retired to Northumbria or Europe. It had been a monumental struggle. He was now King of the Anglo Saxons, he had restored the Anglo Saxon kingdoms and they were now reorganised under his rule from his capital at Winchester. King Alfred was a learned and a Christian man. He promoted learning in his kingdom. He had the Bible and many other works translated into English so that they could be understood. Some of the work he undertook himself. His children and others were taught in a court school and he also promoted learning by all young men of ability. It was during his reign that “The Anglo Saxon Chronicles” were started and continued to be written into Norman times long after he died.
He introduced a law code for the Saxon people. His reforms of the legal and government of the country are still alive today for it is said to be the basis on which England was formed. Alfred married Ealhswith, grandaughter of a King of Mercia in 868. They had five or perhaps six children. Their eldest was Edward who succeeded his father. Ealhswith outlived her husband, became a nun, died in 905 and is buried in St Mary’s Winchester. The “Anglo Saxon Chronicles” gives the date of Alfred’s death as 26 October 901, but the year is not really certain. It might just as well be 899 as is stated on the statue and believed by the people of his beautiful capital, Winchester. His citizens honoured their greatest statesman.
