Alfred the Great: 871-899 AD | History of the monarchs of Britain

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Alfred the Great: 871-899

Alfred was the fifth son of Æthelwulf, and one of England's most highly regarded and wisest kings. As a child, he accompanies his father on pilgrimage to Rome, perhaps sowing the seeds of the devout spirituality that was to characterise his reign. He succeeded to the throne at a time when the kingdom was increasingly threatened by Viking raids in the North. In 867, the Vikings had seized York, parts of Northumbria, East Anglia and Mercia. Rather than just raiding and pillaging, they were increasing establishing a permanent foothold in the British Isles. It fell to Alfred to defend the kingdom of Wessex against the Danish tide.

In 871, Alfred won a heroic victory against the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown. However, further defeats followed, and a Danish strike against Chippenham forced Alfred to withdraw with his remaining forces into the marshes of the Somerset levels. He established a base on the isle of Athelney, and it is from this time that the story of Alfred and the burn cakes originates.

Alfred proceeded to wage an effective guerrilla war against the Danes, and in 878, a heroic victory at the Battle of Edington turned the tide for Wessex. The enemies came to terms, and the Treaty of Wedmore saw King Guthrum converting to Christianity, and the Danes withdrawing to East Anglia. In 886, a partition treaty was agreed, confining the Danes to northern and eastern England, and allowing Alfred to secure parts of West Mercia and Kent.

Alfred consolidated his rule, reorganising his army and even building a fleet of ships to protect against coastal raiding (earning him the epitaph "the father of the English navy"). However, it was not only his military achievements that caused Alfred to be remembered so fondly - he also had a passion for education. He lamented the decline in learning since the departure of Rome, and thus he established a court school, offered patronage to Welsh scholars, and learned Latin in his 30s so that he might undertake translations of important texts into Anglo-Saxon.

Although often remembered as a warrior, Alfred was a man who wished to reign in peace. His vision was of a country at rest, with time for all to study and learn, looking towards an increase in wisdom and worth. If England has ever truly had a just and wise monarch, that monarch is Alfred the Great.

The precise year and circumstance of Alfred's death are unknown, although the year 899 has been suggested. From the lack of records, we can assume that he passed away quietly, in a fashion fitting his rule.

"To speak briefly: I desired to live worthily as long as I lived, and to leave after my life, to the men who should come after me, the memory of me in good works" - Alfred the Great