Egbert's Stone

— BACKGROUND —

Egbert's Stone (circled - click image)

— THE SNAPS —

BELOW: Three sarsen stones - looking south. Two propped up together and another in two pieces on the ground. . . .

a fairly small geographical area, it is thought that the meeting was most likely to have been at Kingston Deverill, to the south of Warminster." Wiltshire History"There are two theories about them: one, that they represent the remains of Egbert’s Stone, where Alfred the Great is said to have rallied the men of three counties before going to defeat the Danes at the Battle of Edington (near the White Horse of Westbury, the original of which may have commemorated the event); two, that this is a mistake, and they are in fact the remains of a dolmen. The Alfred theory has rivals: a boundary stone near the place where Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset meet at Bourton; the site of King Alfred’s Tower, an 18th century folly which is part of the Stourhead estate; or Court Hill, a hill just outside Kingston Deverill." A. Chapman, Pilgimage, May 2004 Court Hill (click image for full map) Alfred as displayed in church

"Alfred gathered his forces together at two meeting places, and it is possible that one of these was Court Hill at Kingston Deverill. There are three Sarsen Stones in a field next to the church, which were found by a farmer on King’s Court Hill. It is said that King Egbert held court here. Local tradition says that Alfred climbed neighbouring King’s Hill to view the enemy’s position. It is therefore quite possible that Alfred used these Sarsen Stones on King’s Court Hill as a meeting point. They are believed to be the remains of a chambered mound, with the back and cap stones assumed to have been nabbed by a farmer. And on that theme, a Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine of 1877 states "certain large stones were examined: they are called 'Egbert's Stones' or 'King's Stones' and are spoken of by the Saxon Chroniclers; they were brought by a farmer from King's Court Hill, where King Egbert is traditionally said to have held court…" ('Kingston' may mean 'King's stone', or may not.)" awrc, The Modern Antiquarian, May 2004

"The location of Egbert’s Stone, where Alfred gathered his army before the battle of Ethandun, has been a subject of debate for many years. There are several possible locations, but clear evidence is very slight, and the conclusions drawn by historians are really only based on calculated guesswork. Wiltshire folklore indicates two sets of sarsen stones which are in the right general area and which might be Egbert’s Stone. The first is the boundary stone (ST773312), which was traditionally set up by Egbert at the side of the river Stour where the borders of Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset meet. The place where three roads or boundaries meet is a powerful place in folklore, and this might indeed be a favoured location for a meeting-place. The other place is at Kingston Deverill, where some sad-looking sarsen stones are propped together in an enclosure near the church. We are told in Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine that in 1877 "certain large stones were examined: they are called ‘Egbert’s Stones’ or ‘King’s Stones’ and are spoken of by the Saxon Chroniclers; they were brought by a farmer from King’s Court Hill, where King Egbert is traditionally said to have held court…" By the time Maud Cunnington examined the stones in the 1920s, the folklore had become a little more general, and the saying was simply that the stones on the hill had been the meeting-place of kings. In this case we are probably seeing an instance of misinterpretation of the place-name Kingston, which means not the ‘King’s Stone’ but the ‘King’s enclosure of land’. On the other hand, ancient sites, stones and barrows and hillforts, have been used as meeting-places down the centuries, and misinterpretation of a site’s place-name does not preclude use of that site as a meeting-place." THE HAUNTED LANDSCAPE

NOTE: The following is quoted at some length and is part of a much longer text that's well worth the perusal (see link on credit below).

"Once the lambing had commenced and the crops had been planted, Alfred co-ordinated his return. He sent messages to a number of his shires to meet with their fyrd at Egbert’s stone in the seventh week after Easter."

“Then in the seventh week after Easter he rode to Egbert's (ecgbrihtes stan) stone, on the east of Selwood, and there came to meet him all the Somersetshire men, and the Wiltshire men, and that part of Hampshire which remained of it on this side of the sea; and they rejoiced to see him.”'

"As noted in the section relating to Willoughby Hedge there has long been an association between the Kingship of England and The villages in the Deverill valley. Nowhere is they’re a more physical symbol of Egbert’s stone that at Kingston Deverill. In a field adjacent to St Mary the Virgin’s Church in the village stands two large Saracen stones lent against each other for mutual support. Mr Carpenter of the Post Office was quoted in 1928 as saying that as a child the stones were majestically placed on King’s Court hill, and it was potentially a meeting place for Kings. As recently as 2000, English Heritage was thinking of moving the stones to Bratton Castle as a marker to celebrate the Battle. Thankfully this was stopped due to strong public opinion, and a replica Saracen stone used instead. The stones at Kingston was believed not to be of local origin, so that being the case, there was be something significant about their placing in the valley. As I’ve said before, a thousand years ago it was not a trivial matter moving stones weighing many tons.

An excellent account that lends to it’s case comes from Wiltshire Archeological Magazine of 1877 which says, “certain large stones were examined: they are called Egbert’s stone or Kings stone and are spoken of by the Saxon Chronicles; they were brought by a farmer from King’s Court Hill, where Egbert is traditionally said to have held court, and for some time did duty as stepping stones to a barn; subsequently they were condemned to be broken up as material for mending roads but their substance was so hard as to defy the effort of their would-be-destroyers”. How much of this is based on speculation and outdated theories, and how much comes from good hard fact is difficult to judge. We have the stones, so their origins were sound to a degree. The speculation of their use as Egbert’s stone is questionable, although as a meeting or worship place perhaps for Kings is possible, as the effort of putting the mighty stones up a hill and not using them would be folly. One other positive factor for the Deverills is that it’s on the Roman road line from Uphill on the Severn to Old Sarum, where the road leading south to north from Shaftsbury crossed it. It’s been speculated that the two stones originally stood on what we now call Courts hill, and not Kings hill, which is immediately adjacent to the church. Some think there was also a third stood that was used as a lintel in true Stonehenge style. Their present position is actually on private property, worth knowing before you trample off down there. It theory its possible to see the stones from the back corner of the Church’s back yard, but I would recommend passing with the Church on the left, and take the next left road. About thirty yards down you will see on your left hand side an entranceway to a farm. Look into the field near the hut and you will see the two sorry looking stones. Beware not to get the attention of the lovely little Shire horse that lives in the field. Remember to bring your binoculars and zoom lenses!

The physical location has excellent logistical properties in terms of water, shelter, and physical conditions. The location is too close to Illey Oak in my view for it to be true location of Egbert’s stone, but that fact in itself is not enough to discount the possibility altogether. The view from the top of King’s or Court hill affords a view to Battlesbury Hill and also to woods where Iley Oak is located.

Kingston Deverill is ignored as the possible site for Egbert’s stone at your peril. What are the chances of a village being called Kingston or Kings-Stone Deverill! However surely this position is within the boundaries on Selwood itself, so it would contradict the documented accounts. In the Domesday Book, Brixton is called “Brictic’s Town”. The definition of the word town would mean that either the lands were enclosed or some greater owner had the entire lands. Egbert’s stone indicates a different meaning, i.e. A monumental value to the description. Finally there the assumption is made that Eccgbryght is indeed King Egbert’s. Could it have been a hero called Eccgbryght? Another theory is that the Brixton did not get added to the name until two centuries after Alfred’s events with the reign of Edward the Confessor." Extract from: Ethandun by David Stokes, January 2001 / PDF (for research and ease of use)

BATTLE OF ETHANDON

"Alfred stood to lose everything. Vikings had attacked the British Isles for many years. Northumbria, East Anglia and Mercia had fallen. By 877 the kingdom of Wessex alone resisted the invaders. In a surprise winter attack, having sworn a false peace, Guthrum drove Alfred from his throne. It seemed the Danes had triumphed. They thought Alfred, like other nobles and kings, would flee overseas. Christianity would be forced underground. Civilization would take a beating. The Saxons would be slaves. But Alfred didn't run. He hid on the Isle of Athelney in Somerset. When spring came, he sent out messengers, summoning the Anglo-Saxons to Egbert's Stone. The thanes responded, weeping for joy at seeing their king alive. They marched to confront Guthrum." The Crucial Battle at Ethandun, Dan Graves, 2007

"After the victory, when the Danes had taken refuge in Chippenham, the West Saxons removed from the area around all food that the Danes might be able to capture in a sortie, and waited. After two weeks, the hungry Danes sued for peace, giving Alfred "preliminary hostages and solemn oaths that they would leave his kingdom immediately", just as usual, but in addition promising that Guthrum would be baptized." Battle of Ethandun, Wikipedia

BUT, WHO WAS EGBERT?

Egbert [also click portrait] was the grandfather of Alfred the Great and King of Wessex in a previous period to this narrative's subject. Wessex was fortified under Alfred's rule as well as generally becoming more civilised. It does seem that Alfred was somewhat of a Renassance character in many respects and well trained in the arts of Kingship, including war."Egbert was buried in Winchester, as were his son, Æthelwulf, his grandson, Alfred the Great, and Alfred's son, Edward the Elder. During the ninth century, Winchester began to show signs of urbanization, and it is likely that the sequence of burials indicates that Winchester was held in high regard by the West Saxon royal line." - WikipediaNow let's let Wikipedia tell the tale. . . ."Egbert was buried in Winchester, as were his son, Æthelwulf, his grandson, Alfred the Great, and Alfred's son, Edward the Elder. During the ninth century, Winchester began to show signs of urbanization, and it is likely that the sequence of burials indicates that Winchester was held in high regard by the West Saxon royal line.""The hegemony of Wessex and the Viking raids: In 802 the fortunes of Wessex were transformed by the accession of Egbert who came from a cadet branch of the ruling dynasty that claimed descent from Ine's brother Ingild. With his accession the throne became firmly established in the hands of a single lineage. Early in his reign he conducted two campaigns against the

"West Welsh", first in 813 and then again at "Gafulford" in 822. During the course of these campaigns he conquered the western Britons still in Devon and reduced those beyond the River Tamar, now Cornwall, to the status of a vassal.[6] In 825 he overturned the political order of England by decisively defeating King Beornwulf of Mercia at Ellendun and seizing control of Surrey, Sussex, Kent and Essex from the Mercians, while with his help East Anglia broke away from Mercian control. In 829 he conquered Mercia, driving its King Wiglaf into exile, and secured acknowledgment of his overlordship from the king of Northumbria. He thereby became the Bretwalda, or high king of Britain. This position of dominance was short-lived, as Wiglaf returned and restored Mercian independence in 830, but the expansion of Wessex across south-eastern England proved permanent.Egbert's later years saw the beginning of Danish Viking raids on Wessex, which occurred frequently from 835 onwards. In 851 a huge Danish army, said to have been carried on 350 ships, arrived in the Thames estuary. Having defeated King Beorhtwulf of Mercia in battle, the Danes moved on to invade Wessex, but were decisively crushed by Egbert's son and successor King Aethelwulf in the exceptionally bloody Battle of Aclea. This victory postponed Danish conquests in England for fifteen years, but raids on Wessex continued.

In 855-6 Aethelwulf went on pilgrimage to Rome and his eldest surviving son Aethelbald took advantage of his absence to seize his father's throne. On his return, Aethelwulf agreed to divide the kingdom with his son to avoid bloodshed, ruling the new territories in the east while Aethelbald held the old heartland in the west. Aethelwulf was succeeded by each of his four surviving sons ruling one after another: the rebellious Aethelbald, then Ethelbert, who had previously inherited the eastern territories from his father and who reunited the kingdom on Aethelbald's death, then Aethelred, and finally Alfred the Great. This occurred because the first two brothers died in wars with the Danes without issue, while Aethelred's sons were too young to rule when their father died." - Wikipedia / Wyvern of Wessex

— to be continued... —

STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

s e a r c h

This item is a living document and as such will be developing - be sure to return regularly to the page. Not just to see the changes, but also to review the material in the light of your growing understanding of this astonishing story. You can contact the author here (for any queries and permissions). John Potts, 12-02-12