110-724: Wadham School is a school for pupils aged 11–18 situated on a 20-acre (81,000 m) site on the outskirts of Crewkerne in Somerset , England. The school has been rated Good by Ofsted since May 2014. Wadham School opened in purpose built accommodation in 1971, as a Church of England, Voluntary Controlled, Upper Comprehensive , replacing the local grammar school Wadham School receives pupils from two Middle Schools (ages 9–13), Maiden Beech in Crewkerne and Swanmead in Ilminster. Close links are maintained with these schools, with members of
220-485: A Grade I listed building . Crewkerne also contains one of very few Unitarian chapels left in the West Country, Crewkerne Unitarian Church, a tiny chapel tucked away on Hermitage Street. The Methodist church on South Street is shared by Roman Catholic and Methodist congregations, following the closure and proposed redevelopment of St Peter's Catholic Church. Christ Church , a chapel of ease to St Bartholomew's,
330-489: A West Saxon contingent in a successful joint campaign. In the same year Burgred married Æthelwulf's daughter, Æthelswith. In 825, Ecgberht sent Æthelwulf to invade the Mercian sub-kingdom of Kent , and its sub-king, Baldred , was driven out shortly afterwards. By 830, Essex , Surrey and Sussex had submitted to Ecgberht, and he had appointed Æthelwulf to rule the south-eastern territories as king of Kent. The Vikings ravaged
440-596: A counter-attack because the provisions and stamina of the besieging forces waned. The means by which the Anglo-Saxons marshalled forces to defend against marauders also left them vulnerable to the Vikings. It was the responsibility of the shire fyrd to deal with local raids. The king could call up the national militia to defend the kingdom but in the case of the Viking raids, problems with communication and raising supplies meant that
550-474: A fort at Athelney in the marshes of Somerset , and from that fort kept fighting against the foe". Considering the fate of the Mercians' kingdom under similar Viking pressure and an analysis of charter signatories either side of the raid it has been suggested that Alfred may have fallen prey to a Witan coup at Chippenham rather than simply being surprised by a Viking attack. From his fort at Athelney, an island in
660-526: A full Ofsted inspection showed ample progress. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West and ITV West Country . Television signals are received from the Mendip and the local relay transmitters. Crewkerne's local radio stations are BBC Radio Somerset on 95.5 FM, Heart West on 97.1 FM, Greatest Hits Radio South West on 105.6 FM, Radio Ninesprings, a community based station that broadcast on 104.5 FM. . The Chard and Ilminster News
770-617: A key role in establishing the first democratic town government in the American colonies. Ralph Reader an actor, theatrical producer and songwriter , best known for staging the original Gang Show , a Variety show for members of the Scouting Movement, was born in Crewkerne in 1903. The cricketer Michael Barnwell was born in the town in 1943. Crewkerne is twinned with Igny, Essonne and Bures-sur-Yvette in France. Alfred
880-519: A means of obstructing the river to prevent the egress of the Danish ships. The Danes realised that they were outmanoeuvred, struck off north-westwards and wintered at Cwatbridge near Bridgnorth . The next year, 896 (or 897), they gave up the struggle. Some retired to Northumbria , some to East Anglia. Those who had no connections in England returned to the continent. The Germanic tribes who invaded Britain in
990-598: A new street plan; added fortifications in addition to the existing Roman walls; and, some believe, the construction of matching fortifications on the south bank of the River Thames. This is also the period in which almost all chroniclers agree that the Saxon people of pre-unification England submitted to Alfred. In 888, Æthelred, the archbishop of Canterbury , also died. One year later Guthrum, or Athelstan by his baptismal name, Alfred's former enemy and king of East Anglia, died and
1100-577: A permanent union between Wessex and Kent because they both appointed sons as sub-kings, and charters in Wessex were attested (witnessed) by West Saxon magnates, while Kentish charters were witnessed by the Kentish elite; both kings kept overall control, and the sub-kings were not allowed to issue their own coinage. Viking raids increased in the early 840s on both sides of the English Channel, and in 843 Æthelwulf
1210-532: A prize by his mother to the first of her sons able to memorise it. He must have had it read to him because his mother died when he was about six and he did not learn to read until he was 12. In 853, Alfred is reported by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to have been sent to Rome where he was confirmed by Pope Leo IV , who "anointed him as king". Victorian writers later interpreted this as an anticipatory coronation in preparation for his eventual succession to
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#17330860056861320-411: A road system maintained for army use (known as herepaths ). The roads allowed an army quickly to be assembled, sometimes from more than one burh, to confront the Viking invader. The road network posed significant obstacles to Viking invaders, especially those laden with booty. The system threatened Viking routes and communications making it far more dangerous for them. The Vikings lacked the equipment for
1430-423: A siege against a burh and a developed doctrine of siegecraft , having tailored their methods of fighting to rapid strikes and unimpeded retreats to well-defended fortifications. The only means left to them was to starve the burh into submission but this gave the king time to send his field army or garrisons from neighbouring burhs along the army roads. In such cases, the Vikings were extremely vulnerable to pursuit by
1540-586: A system of scouts and messengers. Alfred won a decisive victory in the ensuing Battle of Edington which may have been fought near Westbury, Wiltshire . He then pursued the Danes to their stronghold at Chippenham and starved them into submission. One of the terms of the surrender was that Guthrum convert to Christianity. Three weeks later, the Danish king and 29 of his chief men were baptised at Alfred's court at Aller, near Athelney, with Alfred receiving Guthrum as his spiritual son. According to Asser, The unbinding of
1650-464: A winter blockade but contented themselves with destroying all the supplies in the district. Early in 894 or 895 lack of food obliged the Danes to retire once more to Essex. At the end of the year, the Danes drew their ships up the River Thames and the River Lea and fortified themselves twenty miles (32 km) north of London. A frontal attack on the Danish lines failed but later in the year, Alfred saw
1760-509: Is a Grade II listed building . Somerset County Council is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education , social services , the library , roads, public transport , trading standards , waste disposal and strategic planning, although fire, police and ambulance services are provided jointly with other authorities through the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service , Avon and Somerset Constabulary and
1870-408: Is approximately 10 °C (50.0 °F ). Seasonal temperature variation is less extreme than most of the nation due to nearby shore/land breezes to/from seas. The summer months of July and August are the warmest with mean daily maxima of approximately 21 °C (69.8 °F). In winter mean minimum daily readings of 1 °C (33.8 °F) or 2 °C (35.6 °F) are common. In the summer
1980-629: Is around 21,000 sq ft (2,000 m ) and opened in November 2008. All of the large supermarkets are situated around the South Street multi-storey car park . The other smaller supermarket is Lidl . Ariel Motor Company is based in Crewkerne, and is one of the UK's smallest automobile companies, with just seven employees, producing fewer than 100 cars per year. It was founded in 1991 and changed its name from Solocrest Ltd in 2001. The company's flagship car
2090-544: Is not mentioned during the short reigns of his older brothers Æthelbald and Æthelberht. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle describes the Great Heathen Army of Danes landing in East Anglia with the intent of conquering the four kingdoms which constituted Anglo-Saxon England in 865. Alfred's public life began in 865 at age 16 with the accession of his third brother, 18-year-old Æthelred. During this period, Bishop Asser gave Alfred
2200-615: Is on the route of the Monarch's Way a 615-mile (990 km) long-distance footpath in England that approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester . Crewkerne is a small market town centre with many cafes, shops and supermarkets. Crewkerne also has a wide selection of public houses . The largest supermarket is the Waitrose store which
2310-456: Is served by South Western Railway on what was the main south western railway line before it was outranked by the Taunton line . Trains operate to London Waterloo (two and a half hours away) via Salisbury (70 minutes), and in the opposite direction to Exeter St Davids (under an hour). There is also a service provided by Great Western Railway to London Paddington . The station was opened by
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#17330860056862420-452: Is the Ariel Atom , an extremely light, high performance car. St Bartholomew's Parish Church stands on high ground to the west of the town. The first Saxon church was founded before the end of the 9th century as a "minster", or main church of a Saxon royal estate that included an area which later became the parishes of Seaborough , Wayford and Misterton . This church was replaced after
2530-608: Is the birthplace of several notable people and has varied cultural and sporting facilities including those at Wadham Community School . The name Crewkerne is thought to be derived from Cruc-aera ; from the British cruc – a spur of a hill, and the Old English aera – a house, especially a storehouse. The town was known as Crocern , or Cruaern in the 899 will of Alfred the Great when he left it to his younger son Æthelweard , and by 1066
2640-591: Is the local newspaper that serves the town. The Henhayes Centre provides conference facilities and has also featured exhibitions. Crewkerne and District Museum is part of a wider heritage centre which includes local archives and a meeting room. The museum opened in 2000 in an old house with an 18th-century frontage. It was restored with the help of grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund , Somerset County Council , South Somerset District Council and Crewkerne Town Council. The development of Crewkerne during
2750-513: Is when they are most active. In summer, a large proportion of the rainfall is caused by sun heating the ground leading to convection and to showers and thunderstorms. Average rainfall is around 700 mm (28 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind speeds, and June to August have the lightest winds. The predominant wind direction is from the south-west. The following roads pass through Crewkerne: Crewkerne railway station , in nearby Misterton ,
2860-548: The Azores high pressure normally extends to the Region, yet convective cloud will on some days form inland, cutting sunshine. Annual sunshine rates are slightly less than the regional average of 1,600 hours. Most of the rainfall in the south-west is caused by Atlantic depressions or by convection . Most of the rainfall in autumn and winter is caused by the Atlantic depressions, which
2970-561: The Battle of Basing on 22 January. They were defeated again on 22 March at the Battle of Merton (perhaps Marden in Wiltshire or Martin in Dorset). Æthelred died shortly afterwards in April 871. In April 871, King Æthelred died and Alfred acceded to the throne of Wessex and the burden of its defence, even though Æthelred left two under-age sons, Æthelhelm and Æthelwold . This was in accordance with
3080-525: The Battle of Farnham in Surrey. They took refuge on an island at Thorney , on the River Colne between Buckinghamshire and Middlesex , where they were blockaded and forced to give hostages and promise to leave Wessex. They then went to Essex and after suffering another defeat at Benfleet , joined with Hastein's force at Shoebury . Alfred had been on his way to relieve his son at Thorney when he heard that
3190-588: The Danelaw ). By terms of the treaty, moreover, Alfred was to have control over the Mercian city of London and its mints—at least for the time being. In 825, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle had recorded that the people of Essex, Sussex, Kent and Surrey surrendered to Egbert , Alfred's grandfather. From then until the arrival of the Great Heathen Army , Essex had formed part of Wessex. After the foundation of Danelaw, it appears that some of Essex would have been ceded to
3300-511: The Isle of Sheppey in 835, and the following year they defeated Ecgberht at Carhampton in Somerset, but in 838 he was victorious over an alliance of Cornishmen and Vikings at the Battle of Hingston Down , reducing Cornwall to the status of a client kingdom . When Æthelwulf succeeded to the throne, he appointed his eldest son Æthelstan as sub-king of Kent. Ecgberht and Æthelwulf may not have intended
3410-558: The London and South Western Railway on 19 July 1860. It was designed by Sir William Tite and has been designated as a Grade II listed building . The town is served by Stagecoach South West with buses to Yeovil via Kithill, Misterton and Haselbury Plucknett and Chard . Buses also run to Merriott , South Petherton and Ilminster and Taunton . First West of England has service to Bridport via Beaminster and Broadwindsor , Yeovil via East Chinnock and West Coker and Chard. It
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3520-522: The Norman Conquest with a larger stone cruciform building, with a central tower. This was almost completely rebuilt and enlarged in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. This is, for the most part, the church building visible today. It is an excellent example of the Perpendicular style with many unusual and individual features. These include the west front, the nave , the six-light aisle windows and
3630-695: The Northumbrian and East Anglian Danes were besieging Exeter and an unnamed stronghold on the North Devon shore. Alfred at once hurried westward and raised the Siege of Exeter . The fate of the other place is not recorded. The force under Hastein set out to march up the Thames Valley , possibly with the idea of assisting their friends in the west. They were met by a large force under the three great ealdormen of Mercia , Wiltshire and Somerset and forced to head off to
3740-510: The Perry Street and District League . With Crewkerne ladies football club playing in the Somerset Women's County league . There are also 2 Lawn Bowls clubs in the town. Thomas Coryat a traveller and writer of the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean age was born in Crewkerne around 1577. Mathematician John Caswell was also born here. A later traveller Colonel Joshua Fry was born in
3850-652: The River Parrett . The main residential areas are around the town centre with Kithill and Park View to the South and Wadham Park to the North. In the northern outskirts of the town is the Bincombe Beeches 5 hectares (12 acres) Local Nature Reserve . which is managed by the town council and includes a line of beech trees, some of which are between 150 and 200 years old. Between 2002 and 2005 grants were obtained to improve access to
3960-549: The River Stour , the fleet was met by Danish vessels that numbered 13 or 16 (sources vary on the number), and a battle ensued. The Anglo-Saxon fleet emerged victorious, and as Henry of Huntingdon writes, "laden with spoils". The victorious fleet was surprised when attempting to leave the River Stour and was attacked by a Danish force at the mouth of the river. The Danish fleet defeated Alfred's fleet, which may have been weakened in
4070-797: The South Western Ambulance Service . It is served by the Yeovil seat in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. Before Brexit in 2020 it was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament from that area's 1979 inception. The town lies west of
4180-561: The Tudor -style chapels and windows in the north east corner. The building material is golden-coloured Ham Hill stone , quarried nearby. There is a notable pair of 'green man' carvings within the church. No major alterations have been made since the Reformation in the 1530s and 1540s, but there have been many changes to the interior to accommodate various phases of Church of England worship. Among these are an oven used for baking communion bread in
4290-476: The chrisom on the eighth day took place at a royal estate called Wedmore . At Wedmore, Alfred and Guthrum negotiated what some historians have called the Treaty of Wedmore , but it was to be some years after the cessation of hostilities that a formal treaty was signed. Under the terms of the so-called Treaty of Wedmore, the converted Guthrum was required to leave Wessex and return to East Anglia. Consequently, in 879
4400-457: The hamlets of Coombe, Woolminstone and Henley, and borders the county of Dorset to the south. The town is on the main headwater of the River Parrett , A30 road and West of England Main Line railway, in modern times the slower route between the capital and the southwest peninsula , having been eclipsed by the Taunton route . The earliest written record of Crewkerne is in the 899 will of Alfred
4510-452: The law code of King Ine of Wessex , issued in c. 694 : If a nobleman who holds land neglects military service, he shall pay 120 shillings and forfeit his land; a nobleman who holds no land shall pay 60 shillings; a commoner shall pay a fine of 30 shillings for neglecting military service Wessex's history of failures preceding Alfred's success in 878 emphasised to him that the traditional system of battle he had inherited played to
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4620-590: The 18th and 19th centuries the main industry was cloth making, including webbing, and sails for the Royal Navy . Local ecological sites include the Bincombe Beeches Local Nature Reserve and the Millwater biological Site of Special Scientific Interest . Crewkerne railway station is served by South Western Railway . There are local supermarkets and local shops, and some local industry. The town
4730-414: The 18th and 19th centuries, with particular emphasis on the flax and linen industry is illustrated with a permanent display. Other collections relate to local archaeology, Coins and Medals, Costume and Textiles, Fine Art, Music, Personalities, Science and Technology, Social History, Weapons and War. The Crewkerne Aqua Centre also provides swimming pool and fitness gym facilities to the town, located on
4840-513: The 2011 Census had a population of 7,826. Crewkerne Town Hall occupies part of the Victoria Hall in the Market Square. The Hamstone building was rebuilt around 1742, altered in 1836, when a south piazza was added after the demolition of the shambles. In 1848-9 it became a museum, reading room and library and was remodelled in 1900 by Thomas Benson of Yeovil to create shops and offices. It
4950-521: The Anglo-Saxons were closely related – to crown a successor as royal prince and military commander. In 868, Alfred was recorded as fighting beside Æthelred in a failed attempt to keep the Great Heathen Army led by Ivar the Boneless out of the adjoining Kingdom of Mercia . The Danes arrived in his homeland at the end of 870, and nine engagements were fought in the following year, with mixed results;
5060-665: The Bald , king of West Francia . In 868, Alfred married Ealhswith , daughter of the Mercian nobleman Æthelred Mucel , ealdorman of the Gaini, and his wife Eadburh, who was of royal Mercian descent. Their children were Æthelflæd , who married Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians ; Edward the Elder , Alfred's successor as king; Æthelgifu , abbess of Shaftesbury ; Ælfthryth , who married Baldwin , count of Flanders ; and Æthelweard . Alfred's grandfather, Ecgberht , became king of Wessex in 802, and in
5170-535: The Danes slipped past the Saxon army and attacked and occupied Wareham in Dorset. Alfred blockaded them but was unable to take Wareham by assault. He negotiated a peace that involved an exchange of hostages and oaths, which the Danes swore on a "holy ring" associated with the worship of Thor . The Danes broke their word, and after killing all the hostages, slipped away under cover of night to Exeter in Devon. Alfred blockaded
5280-454: The Danes who, instead of engaging the army of Wessex, fled to their beached ships and sailed to another part of Britain. The retreating Danish force supposedly left Britain the following summer. Not long after the failed Danish raid in Kent, Alfred dispatched his fleet to East Anglia. The purpose of this expedition is debated, but Asser claims that it was for the sake of plunder. After travelling up
5390-511: The Danes' advantage. While the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes attacked settlements for plunder, they employed different tactics. In their raids the Anglo-Saxons traditionally preferred to attack head-on by assembling their forces in a shield wall , advancing against their target and overcoming the oncoming wall marshalled against them in defence. The Danes preferred to choose easy targets, mapping cautious forays to avoid risking their plunder with high-stake attacks for more. Alfred determined their tactic
5500-415: The Danes, but how much is not clear. With the signing of the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum , an event most commonly held to have taken place around 880 when Guthrum's people began settling East Anglia , Guthrum was neutralised as a threat. The Viking army, which had stayed at Fulham during the winter of 878–879, sailed for Ghent and was active on the continent from 879 to 892. There were local raids on
5610-692: The Great Alfred the Great ( Old English : Ælfrǣd [ˈæɫvˌræːd] ; c. 849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh , who both died when Alfred was young. Three of Alfred's brothers, Æthelbald , Æthelberht and Æthelred , reigned in turn before him. Under Alfred's rule, considerable administrative and military reforms were introduced, prompting lasting change in England. After ascending
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#17330860056865720-571: The Great who left it to his youngest son Æthelweard . After the Norman conquest it was held by William the Conqueror and in the Domesday Survey of 1086 was described as a royal manor. Crewkerne Castle was possibly a Norman motte castle. The town grew up in the late mediaeval period around the textile industry, its wealth demonstrated in the fifteenth century Church of St Bartholomew . During
5830-508: The Saxon quarter in Rome from taxation, probably in return for Alfred's promise to send alms annually to Rome, which may be the origin of the medieval tax called Peter's Pence . The pope sent gifts to Alfred, including what was reputed to be a piece of the True Cross . After the signing of the treaty with Guthrum, Alfred was spared any large-scale conflicts for some time. Despite this relative peace,
5940-469: The Viking army left Chippenham and made its way to Cirencester. The formal Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum , preserved in Old English in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (Manuscript 383), and in a Latin compilation known as Quadripartitus , was negotiated later, perhaps in 879 or 880, when King Ceolwulf II of Mercia was deposed. That treaty divided up the kingdom of Mercia. By its terms,
6050-528: The Viking attempt at conquest, becoming the dominant ruler in England. Alfred began styling himself as "King of the Anglo-Saxons" after reoccupying London from the Vikings. Details of his life are described in a work by 9th-century Welsh scholar and bishop Asser . Alfred had a reputation as a learned and merciful man of a gracious and level-headed nature who encouraged education, proposing that primary education be conducted in English rather than Latin, and improving
6160-567: The Viking raids resumed in 892 Alfred was better prepared to confront them with a standing, mobile field army, a network of garrisons and a small fleet of ships navigating the rivers and estuaries. Tenants in Anglo-Saxon England had a threefold obligation based on their landholding: the so-called "common burdens" of military service, fortress work, and bridge repair. This threefold obligation has traditionally been called trinoda necessitas or trimoda necessitas . The Old English name for
6270-424: The Viking ships in Devon, and with a relief fleet having been scattered by a storm, the Danes were forced to submit. The Danes withdrew to Mercia. In January 878, the Danes made a sudden attack on Chippenham , a royal stronghold in which Alfred had been staying over Christmas "and most of the people they killed, except the King Alfred, and he with a little band made his way by wood and swamp, and after Easter he made
6380-401: The Vikings silver to leave, much as the Mercians were to do in the following year. Hoards dating to the Viking occupation of London in 871/872 have been excavated at Croydon , Gravesend and Waterloo Bridge . These finds hint at the cost involved in making peace with the Vikings. For the next five years, the Danes occupied other parts of England. In 876, under Guthrum, Oscetel and Anwend,
6490-467: The agreement that Æthelred and Alfred had made earlier that year in an assembly at an unidentified place called Swinbeorg. The brothers had agreed that whichever of them outlived the other would inherit the personal property that King Æthelwulf had left jointly to his sons in his will. The deceased's sons would receive only whatever property and riches their father had settled upon them and whatever additional lands their uncle had acquired. The unstated premise
6600-452: The boundary between Alfred's and Guthrum's kingdoms was to run up the River Thames to the River Lea , follow the Lea to its source (near Luton ), from there extend in a straight line to Bedford , and from Bedford follow the River Ouse to Watling Street . Alfred succeeded to Ceolwulf's kingdom consisting of western Mercia, and Guthrum incorporated the eastern part of Mercia into an enlarged Kingdom of East Anglia (henceforward known as
6710-444: The burhs were twin towns that straddled a river and were connected by a fortified bridge, like those built by Charles the Bald a generation before. The double-burh blocked passage on the river, forcing Viking ships to navigate under a garrisoned bridge lined with men armed with stones, spears or arrows. Other burhs were sited near fortified royal villas, allowing the king better control over his strongholds. The burhs were connected by
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#17330860056866820-436: The coast of Wessex throughout the 880s. In 882, Alfred fought a small sea battle against four Danish ships. Two of the ships were destroyed, and the others surrendered. This was one of four sea battles recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , three of which involved Alfred. Similar small skirmishes with independent Viking raiders would have occurred for much of the period as they had for decades. In 883, Pope Marinus exempted
6930-479: The court of Charles the Bald, king of the Franks , around 854–855. On their return from Rome in 856, Æthelwulf was deposed by his son Æthelbald . With civil war looming, the magnates of the realm met in council to form a compromise. Æthelbald retained the western shires (i.e. historical Wessex), and Æthelwulf ruled in the east. After King Æthelwulf died in 858, Wessex was ruled by three of Alfred's brothers in succession: Æthelbald, Æthelberht and Æthelred . Alfred
7040-408: The fifth and sixth centuries relied upon the unarmoured infantry supplied by their tribal levy , or fyrd , and it was upon this system that the military power of the several kingdoms of early Anglo-Saxon England depended. The fyrd was a local militia in the Anglo-Saxon shire in which all freemen had to serve; those who refused military service were subject to fines or loss of their land. According to
7150-457: The fine due for neglecting military service was fierdwite . To maintain the burhs , and to reorganise the fyrd as a standing army, Alfred expanded the tax and conscription system based on the productivity of a tenant's landholding. The hide was the basic unit of the system on which the tenant's public obligations were assessed. A hide is thought to represent the amount of land required to support one family. The hide differed in size according to
7260-415: The fire. Preoccupied with the problems of his kingdom, Alfred accidentally let the cakes burn, and was roundly scolded by the woman upon her return. The first written account of the legend appears a century after Alfred's death, though it may have earlier origins in folklore . In the seventh week after Easter (4–10 May 878), around Whitsuntide , Alfred rode to Egbert's Stone east of Selwood where he
7370-404: The founder of the West Saxon dynasty . This made Ecgberht an ætheling – a prince eligible for the throne. But after Ecgberht's reign, descent from Cerdic was no longer sufficient to make a man an ætheling. When Ecgberht died in 839, he was succeeded by his son Æthelwulf; all subsequent West Saxon kings were descendants of Ecgberht and Æthelwulf, and were also sons of kings. At the beginning of
7480-445: The grounds next to Henhayes Park, which used to be the Grammar Schools Playing fields. St. Martins School retained the use of the playing fields until the junior section was closed in 2003, as regular sports days were a tradition dating back to the Grammar school era in the town. A further sports centre is situated on the Wadham School campus. Crewkerne Cricket Club play in the Somerset Cricket League whilst Crewkerne Rangers F.C. play in
7590-427: The high street in the late 1970s). Its Senior and Juniors School closed in 2003, leaving a pre-school nursery. Its gym was on Gouldsbrook Terrace, converted since. Wadham School has students from 11 to 18 years old and includes those travelling from surrounding villages. In November 2005, Wadham was placed into Special measures after failing an Ofsted inspection. In June 2007 the school successfully left these, after
7700-418: The invaders from his kingdom. Alfred was forced instead to make peace with them. Although the terms of the peace are not recorded, Bishop Asser wrote that the pagans agreed to vacate the realm and made good their promise. The Viking army withdrew from Reading in the autumn of 871 to take up winter quarters in Mercian London. Although not mentioned by Asser or by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , Alfred probably paid
7810-469: The king was forced to deal with a number of Danish raids and incursions. Among these was a raid in Kent , an allied kingdom in South East England , during the year 885, which was possibly the largest raid since the battles with Guthrum. Asser's account of the raid places the Danish raiders at the Saxon city of Rochester , where they built a temporary fortress in order to besiege the city. In response to this incursion, Alfred led an Anglo-Saxon force against
7920-564: The king's joint military forces. Alfred's burh system posed such a formidable challenge against Viking attack that when the Vikings returned in 892 and stormed a half-built, poorly garrisoned fortress up the Lympne estuary in Kent, the Anglo-Saxons were able to limit their penetration to the outer frontiers of Wessex and Mercia. Alfred's burghal system was revolutionary in its strategic conception and potentially expensive in its execution. His contemporary biographer Asser wrote that many nobles balked at
8030-470: The larger body at Appledore, Kent , and the lesser under Hastein , at Milton , also in Kent. The invaders brought their wives and children with them, indicating a meaningful attempt at conquest and colonisation. Alfred, in 893 or 894, took up a position from which he could observe both forces. While he was in talks with Hastein, the Danes at Appledore broke out and struck north-westwards. They were overtaken by Alfred's eldest son Edward, and were defeated at
8140-404: The legal system and military structure and his people's quality of life. He was given the epithet "the Great" from as early as the 13th century, though it was only popularised from the 16th century. Alfred is the only native-born English monarch to be labelled as such. Alfred was a son of Æthelwulf , king of Wessex , and his wife Osburh. According to his biographer, Asser , writing in 893, "In
8250-579: The manor was held by Edith Swanneck , mistress of King Harold . After the Norman conquest the Domesday Survey of 1086 shows the so-named manor was feudally royal, a possession of William the Conqueror , and the church estate was given to the Abbaye-aux-Hommes in Caen , Normandy . In 1499, John de Combe , a precentor of Exeter Cathedral and former vicar of Crewkerne, founded Crewkerne Grammar School . The school survived until 1904. The parish
8360-598: The marshes near North Petherton , Alfred was able to mount a resistance campaign, rallying the local militias from Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire . 878 was the nadir of the history of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. With all the other kingdoms having fallen to the Vikings, Wessex alone was resisting. Having fled to the Somerset Levels , Alfred was purportedly given shelter by a peasant woman who, unaware of his identity, asked him to mind some wheaten cakes she left baking by
8470-564: The midland kingdom of Mercia , and as late as 844, a charter showed that it was part of Mercia, but Alfred's birth in the county is evidence that, by the late 840s, control had passed to Wessex. He was the youngest of six children. His eldest brother, Æthelstan , was old enough to be appointed sub-king of Kent in 839, almost 10 years before Alfred was born. He died in the early 850s. Alfred's next three brothers were successively kings of Wessex. Æthelbald (858–860) and Æthelberht (860–865) were also much older than Alfred, but Æthelred (865–871)
8580-467: The national militia could not be mustered quickly enough. It was only after the raids had begun that a call went out to landowners to gather their men for battle. Large regions could be devastated before the fyrd could assemble and arrive. Although the landowners were obliged to the king to supply these men when called, during the attacks in 878 many of them abandoned their king and collaborated with Guthrum. With these lessons in mind Alfred capitalised on
8690-487: The ninth century, England was almost wholly under the control of the Anglo-Saxons . Mercia dominated southern England, but its supremacy came to an end in 825 when it was decisively defeated by Ecgberht at the Battle of Ellendun . Mercia and Wessex became allies, which was important in the resistance to Viking attacks. In 853, King Burgred of Mercia requested West Saxon help to suppress a Welsh rebellion, and Æthelwulf led
8800-536: The north-west, being finally overtaken and blockaded at Buttington . (Some identify this with Buttington Tump at the mouth of the River Wye , others with Buttington near Welshpool .) An attempt to break through the English lines failed. Those who escaped retreated to Shoebury. After collecting reinforcements, they made a sudden dash across England and occupied the ruined Roman walls of Chester . The English did not attempt
8910-560: The places and dates of two of these battles have not been recorded. A successful skirmish at the Battle of Englefield in Berkshire on 31 December 870 was followed by a severe defeat at the siege and the Battle of Reading by Ivar's brother Halfdan Ragnarsson on 5 January 871. Four days later, the Anglo-Saxons won a victory at the Battle of Ashdown on the Berkshire Downs , possibly near Compton or Aldworth . The Saxons were defeated at
9020-487: The police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also
9130-401: The previous engagement. A year later, in 886, Alfred reoccupied the city of London and set out to make it habitable again. Alfred entrusted the city to the care of his son-in-law Æthelred , ealdorman of Mercia. Soon afterwards, Alfred restyled himself as "King of the Anglo-Saxons". The restoration of London progressed through the latter half of the 880s and is believed to have revolved around
9240-531: The relatively peaceful years following his victory at Edington with an ambitious restructuring of Saxon defences. On a trip to Rome Alfred had stayed with Charles the Bald, and it is possible that he may have studied how the Carolingian kings had dealt with Viking raiders. Learning from their experiences he was able to establish a system of taxation and defence for Wessex. There had been a system of fortifications in pre-Viking Mercia that may have been an influence. When
9350-716: The responsibility of the council. The current council, elected on 5 May 2022, consists of six Liberal Democrats , and five independents . The town falls within the non-metropolitan district of South Somerset , which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , having previously been Crewkerne Urban District. The district council is responsible for local planning and building control , local roads, council housing , environmental health , markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling , cemeteries and crematoria , leisure services, parks, and tourism . This electoral ward includes Misterton and at
9460-596: The senior management teams of the three schools meeting regularly and departments maintaining constant liaison through INSET, by visits to each other's schools and by formal meetings. From time to time the three schools hold joint INSET (in-service education and training programme) days. (There is also very close collaboration with other schools in the area particularly in the field of professional development courses for staff.) There are nine First Schools (5-9) from where pupils eventually come on to Wadham School, six servicing Maiden Beech and three Swan. In November 2005, Wadham
9570-421: The site and support the planting of new trees. The Millwater biological Site of Special Scientific Interest consists of a complex mosaic of pasture , wet grassland , tall-herb fen, standing and running water, alder and willow carr. Along with the rest of South West England , Crewkerne has a temperate climate which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of the country. The annual mean temperature
9680-565: The south east corner of the north chapel. During the Civil War , considerable damage was done including the destruction of nearly all of the medieval stained glass . William III of England worshipped in the church following his landing in the Glorious Revolution of 1689. By the early 19th century, all the medieval furnishings, except the Norman font had disappeared. New pews were made and
9790-544: The stone walls were repaired and ditches added, to massive earthen walls surrounded by wide ditches, probably reinforced with wooden revetments and palisades, such as at Burpham in West Sussex. The size of the burhs ranged from tiny outposts such as Pilton in Devon, to large fortifications in established towns, the largest being at Winchester. A document now known as the Burghal Hidage provides an insight into how
9900-420: The system worked. It lists the hidage for each of the fortified towns contained in the document. Wallingford had a hidage of 2,400, which meant that the landowners there were responsible for supplying and feeding 2,400 men, the number sufficient for maintaining 9,900 feet (1.88 miles; 3.0 kilometres) of wall. A total of 27,071 soldiers were needed, approximately one in four of all the free men in Wessex. Many of
10010-427: The throne of Wessex. This is unlikely; his succession could not have been foreseen at the time because Alfred had three living elder brothers. A letter of Leo IV shows that Alfred was made a "consul" and a misinterpretation of this investiture, deliberate or accidental, could explain later confusion. It may be based upon the fact that Alfred later accompanied his father on a pilgrimage to Rome where he spent some time at
10120-495: The throne, Alfred spent several years fighting Viking invasions. He won a decisive victory in the Battle of Edington in 878 and made an agreement with the Vikings, dividing England between Anglo-Saxon territory and the Viking-ruled Danelaw , composed of Scandinavian York , the north-east Midlands and East Anglia. Alfred also oversaw the conversion of Viking leader Guthrum to Christianity. He defended his kingdom against
10230-604: The town in 1699 before becoming a surveyor, adventurer, mapmaker, soldier, and member of the House of Burgesses , the legislature of the colony of Virginia . Another Englishman from Crewkerne who emigrated to the American Colonies was William Phelps who was born around 1599 and became one of the founders of both Dorchester, Massachusetts and Windsor, Connecticut , foreman of the first grand jury in New England, served most of his life in early colonial government, and played
10340-573: The unique title of secundarius , which may indicate a position similar to the Celtic tanist , a recognised successor closely associated with the reigning monarch. This arrangement may have been sanctioned by Alfred's father or by the Witan to guard against the danger of a disputed succession should Æthelred fall in battle. It was a well known tradition among other Germanic peoples – such as the Swedes and Franks to whom
10450-524: The value and resources of the land and the landowner would have to provide service based on how many hides he owned. The foundation of Alfred's new military defence system was a network of burhs, distributed at tactical points throughout the kingdom. There were thirty-three burhs, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) apart, enabling the military to confront attacks anywhere in the kingdom within a day. Alfred's burhs (of which 22 developed into boroughs ) ranged from former Roman towns , such as Winchester, where
10560-413: The victory". Æthelwulf died in 858 and was succeeded by his oldest surviving son, Æthelbald, as king of Wessex and by his next oldest son, Æthelberht, as king of Kent. Æthelbald only survived his father by two years, and Æthelberht then for the first time united Wessex and Kent into a single kingdom. According to Asser, in his childhood Alfred won a beautifully decorated book of English poetry, offered as
10670-456: The view of the historian Richard Abels , it must have seemed very unlikely to contemporaries that he would establish a lasting dynasty. For 200 years, three families had fought for the West Saxon throne, and no son had followed his father as king. No ancestor of Ecgberht had been a king of Wessex since Ceawlin in the late sixth century, but he was believed to be a paternal descendant of Cerdic ,
10780-525: The west galleries were added in 1808–11. The latest restoration that has left the church interior visible today, took place in the late 19th century; it was more sympathetic to the church's architectural character than many Victorian restorations . At this time, the central section of the west gallery was removed to reveal the great west window and the organ was relocated to the south transept. The pews date from around 1900 and have attractive carved bench-ends. The church has been designated by English Heritage as
10890-533: The year of our Lord's Incarnation 849 Alfred, King of the Anglo-Saxons", was born at the royal estate called Wantage , in the district known as Berkshire ("which is so called from Berroc Wood, where the box tree grows very abundantly"). This date has been accepted by the editors of Asser's biography, Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge , and by other historians such as David Dumville , Justin Pollard and Richard Huscroft. West Saxon genealogical lists state that Alfred
11000-557: Was 23 when he became king in April 871, implying that he was born between April 847 and April 848. This dating is adopted in the biography of Alfred by Alfred Smyth , who regards Asser's biography as fraudulent, an allegation which is rejected by other historians. Richard Abels in his biography discusses both sources but does not decide between them and dates Alfred's birth as 847/849, while Patrick Wormald in his Oxford Dictionary of National Biography article dates it 848/849. Berkshire had been historically disputed between Wessex and
11110-522: Was built from hamstone in the early 17th century, but possibly incorporates medieval fragments. The building is designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building . During the 18th and 19th centuries the main industry was cloth making, including webbing, and sails for the Royal Navy . The town council takes charge of some local issues so sets an annual precept (local rate) to cover its costs and makes annual accounts for public scrutiny. It evaluates local planning applications; it works with
11220-460: Was built on South Street in 1852–54. It was declared redundant in 1969 and demolished in 1975. It is now the site of the residential Christchurch Court. The primary schools in Crewkerne are St. Bartholomew's on Kithill, Ashlands on North Street and Maiden Beech Primary Academy on Lyme Road. Crewkerne Grammar School was at DeCombe House, until it closed in the late 1960s, to combine into St Martin's School long on Abbey Street (having moved from
11330-470: Was buried in Hadleigh, Suffolk . Guthrum's death changed the political landscape for Alfred. The resulting power vacuum stirred other power-hungry warlords eager to take his place in the following years. After another lull, in the autumn of 892 or 893, the Danes attacked again. Finding their position in mainland Europe precarious, they crossed to England in 330 ships in two divisions. They entrenched themselves,
11440-412: Was defeated at Carhampton. In 850, Æthelstan defeated a Danish fleet off Sandwich in the first recorded naval battle in English history. In 851, Æthelwulf and his second son, Æthelbald, defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Aclea and, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , "there made the greatest slaughter of a heathen raiding-army that we have heard tell of up to this present day, and there took
11550-655: Was met by "all the people of Somerset and of Wiltshire and of that part of Hampshire which is on this side of the sea (that is, west of Southampton Water ), and they rejoiced to see him". Alfred's emergence from his marshland stronghold was part of a carefully planned offensive that entailed raising the fyrds of three shires . This meant not only that the king had retained the loyalty of ealdormen , royal reeves and king's thegns , who were charged with levying and leading these forces, but that they had maintained their positions of authority in these localities well enough to answer his summons to war. Alfred's actions also suggest
11660-519: Was only a year or two older. Alfred's only known sister, Æthelswith , married Burgred , king of Mercia in 853. Most historians think that Osburh was the mother of all Æthelwulf's children, but some suggest that the older ones were born to an unrecorded first wife. Osburh was descended from the rulers of the Isle of Wight . She was described by Alfred's biographer Asser as "a most religious woman, noble by temperament and noble by birth". She had died by 856 when Æthelwulf married Judith , daughter of Charles
11770-517: Was part of the hundred of Crewkerne . Crewkerne Castle was possibly a Norman motte castle on a mound to the north-west of the town, which is known as Castle Hill. The town grew up in the late mediaeval period around the textile industry, its wealth preserved in its fifteenth century parish church . It later prospered as a coaching stop in the Georgian period . The Manor Farmhouse in Henley
11880-485: Was placed into Special measures after failing an Ofsted inspection. In June 2007 Wadham successfully left Special Measures, after a full Ofsted inspection showed the school had sufficiently progressed. Crewkerne Crewkerne ( / ˈ k r uː k ər n / KROO -kərn ) is a town and electoral ward in south Somerset , England , 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Yeovil and 7 miles (11 km) east of Chard . The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes
11990-450: Was that the surviving brother would be king. Given the Danish invasion and the youth of his nephews, Alfred's accession probably went uncontested. While he was busy with the burial ceremonies for his brother, the Danes defeated the Saxon army in his absence at an unnamed spot and then again in his presence at Wilton in May. The defeat at Wilton smashed any remaining hope that Alfred could drive
12100-400: Was to launch small attacks from a secure base to which they could retreat should their raiders meet strong resistance. The bases were prepared in advance, often by capturing an estate and augmenting its defences with ditches, ramparts and palisades . Once inside the fortification, Alfred realised, the Danes enjoyed the advantage, better situated to outlast their opponents or crush them with
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