Following close on the heels of the recent story of the exhumation from a Leicester car park of King Richard III, of Bosworth Field claim, comes the news that the remains said to be that of Alfred the Great, of burnt cakes fame. have been exhumed from a Winchester church.
The skeletal remains from an unmarked grave at St. Bartholomew’s Church have been removed to secure storage, leading to speculation that a scientific investigation of the Saxon king may be carried out at some future date.
Experts believe that Alfred’s bones could have been relocated to the church from the ruins of nearby Hyde Abbey in the 19th Century, although no-one can be certain at this stage.
A spokesman for the Church of England told the media that the decision to exhume the body earlier this week had been taken to “counter the risk of theft from or vandalism to the grave”.
The spokesman went on to explain “understandably, there is widespread interest in this situation. For now we can’t say any more about the remains, their nature or whereabouts but promise to keep people updated when there is something to tell.”
Since Alfred’s death in 899 AD his remains are known to have been moved several times from their original burial place in the Winchester’s old minster.They were moved in 904AD to a new church so that the old king could rest alongside his wife and children. Later, in 1110 AD, he was moved again to Hyde Abbey. The abbey was subsequently destroyed during Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 AD and there is evidence to suggest that his tomb was robbed at this time.
Although Alfred was the king of Wessex his success in battle against the Danes led to the unification of great swathes of England and, consequently, he is regarded as an iconic figure by many nationalists.
Unlike the remains of Richard III, which were recently reinterred in the formerly English city of Leicester, it is all but certain that Alfred’s final (?) resting place will be the presently “hideously white” city of Winchester, in the very heart of what was once the ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex.
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For anyone who loves a good historical tale which is beautifully researched about Alfred the Great & his fight to take back the territories in the Midlands & the North of England from the domination by the Danes, then I recommend the books of Bernard Cornwell.
The Lords of the North, The Last Kingdom & The Pale Horseman are the first three. There are several others, but I haven’t read them yet!
Alfred had his back truly against the wall, but he never gave in. A good example of courage & determination for us all.
Alfred the Great was indeed an iconic figure whose success in battle and diplomacy is why we speak English rather than Danish today.