logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2016
30m 35s

225 – Alfred in Somerset

Jamie Jeffers
About this episode

It was January of 878. The dead of British winter – and Alfred was running. Through fields, past hamlets, keeping out of sight whenever he could. He ran. He headed for the Somerset Levels. This was a coastal plane during the 9th century – a dense network of impassable marshes. It wasn’t ideal, but at […]

The post 225 – Alfred in Somerset first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Up next
Dec 2016
226 – Alfred and Legitimacy: The First Steps to War
Today, we are going to talk about the early steps of Alfred’s guerrilla war against King Guthrum. We will talk about the elements of this sort of war, the circumstances of the West Saxons under Guthrum’s rule, and the resulting fallout within Wessex. Support the Show The post 226 ... Show More
29m 27s
Dec 2016
227 – Alfred’s War for the Mind
The last episode ended with an account by Ethelweard which told us that after the arrival of AEthelnoth, Alfred was attacking Guthrum on a daily basis. Alfred was no longer just trying to survive, he was trying to take his kingdom back. Support the Show The post 227 – Alfred’s Wa ... Show More
29 m
Jan 2017
228 – Alfred and Odda: The Audacity of Nope
In spite of everything standing against them, Alfred and AEthelnoth are bringing the war directly to Guthrum on a daily basis. We know this thanks to Asser and the Chronicle, but both sources neglect to tell us exactly HOW the rebel army was bringing the war to Guthrum. The one t ... Show More
27m 57s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
548. The Road to 1066: Anglo-Saxon Apocalypse (Part 1)
The Norman Conquest of 1066, culminating in the legendary Battle of Hastings, is perhaps the greatest turning point in the history of the English nation. It was a year that changed the fate of England forever, forging empires, and settling continents. And yet, despite its infamy ... Show More
58m 5s
Oct 2024
The Edinburgh Body Snatchers: Murder at Halloween
In 1827, Edinburgh, Scotland was a world centre for anatomical study, but there was a shortage of cadavers for medical students to dissect. Two men, William Burke and William Hare, spotted a grim business opportunity. They began sourcing bodies - by any means possible... In this ... Show More
41m 47s
Oct 2024
902. "A Year on the Fosse" by Rick Thompson (English History & Wildlife) Dad's New Book 📕 Out Now
<p>A conversation with my dad about his new book, which is about the history and wildlife of a famous Roman road which passes right through the heart of England. Expect stories from various periods of English history, plus descriptions of typical English bird life. English histor ... Show More
1h 14m
Sep 2025
History's Worst F*ckboys: Rasputin
Rasputin presented himself as a mystic healer, and preached that the only way to salvation was through sin — which sometimes, if rumour is to be believed, manifested in orgies.It's definitely giving f*ckboy behaviour.How did he make his way from poverty to the Russian royalty inn ... Show More
29m 5s
Sep 2024
Episode #210 - Who Killed King Tut? (Part I)
King Tutankhamun may be the best known Egyptian Pharaoh. The discovery of his tomb in 1922 created a wave of "Tut-mania" that has made him a fixture of pop-culture ever since. But even though his treasures are among the most visited museum objects in history, the details of his l ... Show More
1h 11m
Dec 2024
The Second Norman Conquest
William of Normandy famously invaded England in 1066 – but, he didn't quite conquer it all. In fact, the duty of leading a second assault was left to his son William Rufus almost 30 years later. Speaking to David Musgrove, Sophie Ambler and Fiona Edmonds reveal how the second Nor ... Show More
46m 16s
Nov 2024
The Unknown Warrior
<p>In the western nave of Westminster Abbey, nestled between illustrious tombs and beneath a slab of black Belgian marble, lies the body of an unidentified soldier of the First World War. He is remembered as the Unknown Warrior, a symbol of the half a million Commonwealth service ... Show More
38m 42s
Sep 2025
Episode #235 - Was The Parthenon Robbed? (Part II)
<p>The Parthenon Sculptures have been hugely controversial objects from the moment that they arrived in England. The British public has long been split over the morality of keeping these famous works of art in London. In the early 1800's the famous poet Lord Byron went so far as ... Show More
1h 28m
Mar 2021
Episode #129- Was There a Real Gilgamesh? (Part I)
The oldest known piece of literature on the planet is the epic tale of Gilgamesh, king of the Mesopotamian city-state of Uruk. The story was a staple of middle-eastern storytelling for well over a thousand years. However, after the destruction of Assyrian city of Nineveh in the 6 ... Show More
1h 15m