Athelstan & Ethelfled Tour
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This is a longer tour than the Alfred tours because it involves traveling over 600 miles from Chippenham right up to Eamont Bridge in Cumbria. This mean that it is a 3 day tour with one night in Chester and the other in Penrith. This is a tour of many important sites in the lives of Alfred's daughter Ethelfled, known as 'The Lady of the Mercians', who ruled Mercia from Tamworth, and raised the young Athelstan in her royal court. The centerpiece of the tour is the location of England's political birthplace at Eamont Bridge, as well as the site of the Battle of Brunanburh, where this agreement was tested on the battlefield, solidifying England as a permanent reality.
TOUR DETAILS BELOW PRICING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE Contact: birthofenglandtours@gmail.com |
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The Alfred tour meeting place is the Chippenham Museum, which stands at no. 9-10 in the Market Place at the top of Chippenham High Street (SN15 3HF). This museum is built right on the spot where Alfred the Great's hunting lodge once stood, and likely in the vicinity of his Chippenham Palace. We meet here at 8am for breakfast and to listen to a presentation about the tour. After this we will meet the lifesize model of Alfred before embarking on the journey north. For practical reasons this tour does not follow the story of Ethelfled and Athelstan in chronological order, but it will all come together and make sense by the end of the trip. We will drive from Chippenham to Gloucester, an important Roman city that was renovated by Ethelfed and her husband Ethelred, who were both laid to rest there.
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The first stop is St Oswold's priory in Gloucester. Here Athelstan's Aunt Ethelfled, the 'Ever Renown Lady of the Mercians' is buried alongside her husband Ethelred, King of Mercia, and the legendary St Oswold, seventh Century King of Northumbria. Ethelfled, who raised the young Athelstan in her own royal court, captured the bones of Oswold during a military campaign against the Vikings and brought them here for burial. This Medieval ruin is a rare surviving relic of the Anglo-Saxon period and now stands surrounded by modern businesses and housing estates. The bones of Ethelfled, Ethelred, and St Oswold probably lie somewhere beneath this structure but nobody knows the exact location. Archeological excavations have found ornate grave covers in the grounds.
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The second stop on the Athelstan tour is the Ethelfleda (Victorian spelling of Ethelfled) memorial gardens. Here at Wednesbury (Woden's burh) Ethelfled built a burh and not far from here she won the a great victory over the Vikings at the battle of Woden's field. The Viking army had been raiding Mercia as far south as Bristol. Three Viking Kings Ingwar Eowils and Halfdan were killed and Ethelfed's fame as a formidible warrior queen spread thoughout all Britain.
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The third stop on the Athelstan & Ethelfled tour is a 40 minute walk around the ancient city walls of Chester. Chester was first built by the Romans but was abandoned and fell into ruins when the Romans withdrew from Britain around 400AD. As part of Alfred's great project of the building of the Burhs, Ethelfled rebuilt the city walls and extended them down to the river Dee. We will walk right round the city walls and see some beautiful views of the ancient city streets and the huge Norman weir on the Dee. Chester's walls were completed in the year 907AD, just in time to defend the city against a sustained assault by Vikings who had been given land on the Wirral by Ethelfled herself. Many tales of the great seige were told during the following centuries including dispatching the invading Vikings with boiling beer and swarms of bees. Here in Chester we will spend the first night in a house close to the city walls. You will be free to eat together in the house or go out to one of the nearby restaurants. You will have some time to explore the ancient streets and pubs.
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The following morning we will leave Chester early in the morning and have breakfast on the likely site of the Battle of Brunanburh 937AD. This is the battle that tested, and could have swiftly ended, the agreement at Eamont that gave birth to the nation of England. Athelstan was victorious against the alliance between Olaf Gufrithson, Viking King of Dublin, Constantine 11, King of the Scots, and Owain, King of Strathclyde. Whilst many other sites have been suggested, in the last few years a consensus has begun to emerge among scholars that an area close to Bromborough (probably a corruption of Brunanburh) was the real battle site. This is largely due to a swathe of archaeological finds made a by a local group of enthusiasts called 'Wirral Archaeology'. The location of some of the finds are still secret due to their 'sensitive' nature.
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From Brunanburh we will travel north to Brougham Castle, which stands at the place where the rivers Eamont and Lowther meet. This is the site of the great meeting between Athelstan and the rulers of all of Britain, including Constantine, King of the Scots. Here they all gave their allegiance to Athelstan and England was born. The exact spot is unknown but the most likely is probably the ancient Roman fort that would still have been partially standing in 927AD. The square foundations of this structure can still be seen next to the Castle. On this spot we will stop and reflect on England's history and share some Mead (Anglo-Saxon Honey-wine). You can also purchase more bottles and other souvenirs in the Castle shop.
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The other possible site for the birth of England is the spectacular Mayburgh Henge, which stands just a couple of miles west of the meeting of the rivers at Eamont Bridge. Whilst the Roman fort would have given Athelstan an Imperial aura, this ancient Neolithic henge, which is part of a single ritual site along with the nearby earthwork known as 'King Arthurs round Table', would have served to emphasize Athelstan's victory over the pagan gods of his enemies. We will pause again here and share some more mead.
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After visiting both possible sites for England's birth we will check in to the hotel in nearby Penrith. There is a lot to explore here, including a 'Giants Grave' in the cemetery of St Andrews Church in central Penrith. This Anglo-Saxon Grave consists of two 11-feet high standing stones, which are fifteen feet apart, as well as four intricately carved semi-circular stones with images of a human figure bruising the head of two stone serpents, a boar and a bear. The inhabitant of the grave is unknown, many have historically believed it to be an ancient giant, and that the stone pillars mark his great height. Others suggest it is the grave of Owain of Strathclyde, who fought Athelstan at the Battle of Brunanburh. Either way it is an outstanding ancient monument and clearly the resting place of a very important historical figure.
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After spending the day, and one night, at Penrith/Eamont Bridge, we will head back south towards Tamworth, making a couple of stops on the way. The first stop is the site of Athelstan's Palace. This is where Athelstan resided when he was in the north after his capture of York. The second stop is the ancient pub 'Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem', where wel will stop for a drink. Although this Pub is probably not the oldest pub in England, and definitely not as old as Athelstan's time, it is a historic pub in a beautiful part of Nottingham, and a great place to take a break on the long journey south. This pub was frequented by knights and peasants before they embarked on the long journey to Jerusalem to fight in the crusades during the twelfth century. The rooms of the pub are carved out of the cliff and include a small museum which houses many curiosities. We will stop here for a drink on the way to Tamworth.
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The next stop on the tour is Tamworth, the seat of ancient Mercian Kings such as Offa. Ethelfled rebuilt and fortified this town. Here she much of her time when not campaigning and here she died. Ethelfled's body was taken from here to its final resting place at Gloucester by her beloved brothet Edward the Elder. After her death Edward became king of both Wessex and mercia. It was here at Tamworth, in Ethelfled's royal court, that Ethelfled raised her nephew Athelstan in the faith and scholarly disciplines of her father Alfred, and where he learned the arts of war and diplomacy. Fittingly a statue of Ethelfled the warrior queen with the young Athelstan has been built next to Tamworth castle.
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After leaving Tamworth we will travel south west down the ancient roman road called the Fosseway to Malmesbury, the holy burh where Athelstan spent most of his time among the monks of its huge monastery. Athelstan chose to be buried here, where the eminent scholar Aldhelm had been buried two centuries earlier. Aldhelm was an inspirational figure to Athelstan and the king adopted his elevated prose style in all his royal charters. The exact location of Athelstan's grave is unknown, since much of the Abbey was destroyed in a storm around 1500AD. Athelstan is commemorated with a lifesize stone effigy, which is housed in the stunning Malmesbury Abbey.
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Pricing and availabilty
These tours are currently only running on weekends and during school holidays. As a weekend tour the Athelstan & Ethelfled Tour begins on friday afternoon and finishes on Sunday early evening.
Prices include breakfast on the Saturday morning, and two nights accomodation at Chester and Penrith. In addition you will need to purchase your own breakfasts at the Brunanburh battle site (farm shop restaurant) and in Penrith, as well as lunches at Penrith and Tamworth (lots of options available), and dinners at reasonably priced restaurants/takeaways Chester, Penrith, and back at Chippenham (optional).
Price per person depends on the size of the group but smaller groups can be joined together if requested to keep costs to a minumum.
Important note: This is a self-drive tour as I am currently unable to provide transport. Customers will be given a map and locations for satnav to meet at each location. customers are free to share transport but Birth of England Tours cannot facilitate this and is not liable for any harm caused by drivers.
4 people £250 pp (approx based on sharing a double/twin room)
5 people £220 pp (approx based on sharing a double/twin room)
6 people £200 pp (approx based on sharing a double/twin room)
7 people £190 pp (approx based on sharing a double/twin room)
8 people £180 pp (approx based on sharing a double/twin room)
Prices include breakfast on the Saturday morning, and two nights accomodation at Chester and Penrith. In addition you will need to purchase your own breakfasts at the Brunanburh battle site (farm shop restaurant) and in Penrith, as well as lunches at Penrith and Tamworth (lots of options available), and dinners at reasonably priced restaurants/takeaways Chester, Penrith, and back at Chippenham (optional).
Price per person depends on the size of the group but smaller groups can be joined together if requested to keep costs to a minumum.
Important note: This is a self-drive tour as I am currently unable to provide transport. Customers will be given a map and locations for satnav to meet at each location. customers are free to share transport but Birth of England Tours cannot facilitate this and is not liable for any harm caused by drivers.
4 people £250 pp (approx based on sharing a double/twin room)
5 people £220 pp (approx based on sharing a double/twin room)
6 people £200 pp (approx based on sharing a double/twin room)
7 people £190 pp (approx based on sharing a double/twin room)
8 people £180 pp (approx based on sharing a double/twin room)