1. ALFRED’S FINAL YEARS 885-99 ENGLAND’S DEFENCES TESTED

2. VIKING CONTEXT ALFRED’S VICTORIES BROKE THE MOMENTUM OF VIKING CONQUEST, GUTHRUM BECAME A PEACEFUL NEIGHBOUR WHILST RAIDS SHIFTED TO CONTIENTAL EUROPE. HOWEVER AFTER THE SIEGE OF PARIS IN 888 THE VIKINGS WERE REPELLED BY A NEW VIGOROUS DYNASTY OF CAPETIANS WHO REPLACED THE CAROLINGIANS. THEREFORE IN 892 A NEW VIKING AMRY UNDER HAESTEN AND HARALD BLOODHAIR ATTACKEDKENT.

3. ALFRED’S ACTIVITIES TO 892 ALFRED ONLY HAD TO DEAL WITH MINOR RAIDS IN THIS PERIOD, THE LARGEST ONE IN 885 INVOVLED AN ATTACK ON THE BURGH OF COLCHESTER DEMOSNTRATING THE EFFIEICINY OF THE SYSTEM. IN 883 HE RECIEVED A FRAGMENT OF THE TRUE CROSS FROM POPE MARINUS IN EFFECT RECOGNISING HIS CLAIM TO BE KING OF ENGLAND. HE PURSUED AN ACTIVE DEFENCE WITH HIS NEW NAVY DURING THIS PERIOD – RAVAGING REBEL VIKIONG SUPPLY BASES ON THE EAST COAST. IN 886 HE STORMED RUINED ROMAN LONDON AND RE-ESTABLISHED IT AS A LARGE BURGH. WITH WESTMINSTER AND SOUTHWARK IT FORMED A TRIPLE DEFENCE OF THE THAMES.

5. HAESTEN’S INVASION THE DETAHN OF GUTHRUM IN 890 ENABLED HAESTEN TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF IN EAST ANGLIA. FROM HERE HE PURSUED A CYNICAL STRATGEY, ARRANGING FOR THE BAPTISM OF HIS TWO SONS WITH ALFRED ANMD ASTHELRED AS THEIR GODFATHERS HWIOLST AT THE SAME TIME NEGOTIATING WITH GUTHFRITH OF NORTHUMBRIA FOR A JOINT INVASION OF ENGLAND. IN 892 ENGLAND WAS SUBJECTED TO A THREE PRONGED INVASION – THE NORTHUMBRIAN VIKINGS ATTACKED EXETER, HAESTEN HIMSELF LED AN AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ON LONDON WHILST BLOODHAIR LED A RAID ON SURREY.

6. ALFRED’S RESPONSE ALFRED’S NATIONAL DEFENCE SYSTEM WORKED EXTREMELY WELL. THE ASSAUALT ON LONDON WAS STOPPED BY MEANS OF BLOCKING BOOMS AND AMBUSH ON THE RIVER LEA. BLOODHAIR WAS INTERCEPTED AND KILLED WITH MUCH OF HIS ARMY AT THE BATTLE OF FARNHAM BY ALFRED’S MOBILE ARMY UNDER THE AETHLING EDWARD THE BURGHS OF WESTERN ENGLAND DELAYED GUFRITH’S ASSUALT ON EXETER UNTIL ALFRED’S ARMY COULD CONFRONT THEM. THE VIKINGS RETREATED NORTHWEST UNTIL THEY WERE TRAPPED BY THE COMBINED AMRIES OF WESSEX AND MERCIA – GUTHFRITH AT BRIDGNORTH AND HAESTEN AT CHESTER. THE FORMER SURRENDERED IN 896 AND WAS ALLOWED TO RETURN TO NORTHUMBRIA, THE LATTER SAILED BACK TO ESSEX WHERE HE HAD HIS POWER BASE. EDWARD COMPLETED ALFRED’S VICTORY IN 894 BY CAPTURING THE VIKING’S FORWARD OPERATING BASE ON THE THAMES AT BENFLEET THEREBY DENYING THEM A SPRINGBOARD FOR FUTURE INVASIONS.

7. ALFRED’S THIRD VIKING WAR 892-896 BOUNDARY OF THE DANELAW VIKING KINGDOM OF EAST ANGLIA WELSH KINGDOMS 3 1 ALFRED’S ENGLISH KINGDOM 2 6 4 5 1.Haesten’s attack down the River Lea towards London is defeated by booms that stop his ships which he has to abandon (892). 2.Eric Bloodhair is intercepted and killed at the Battle of Farnham by the Army of Wessex (892). 3.Guthfrith’s siege of Exeter is relieved by the Army of Wessex who pursue him northwards (893). 4.Guthfrith is trapped by the combined forces of Wessex and Mercia at Brignorth and forced to surrender in 896. 5.Haesten unsuccessfully seizes Chester as a forward operating base before being ejected from Mercia. 6.Viking base at Benfleet captured by Aethling Edward in 894.

8. PEACE 896-99 AFTER THE TAKING OF BENFLEET THE VIKINGS LEFT ENGLAND FOR A GENERATION. ALFRED SEMI-RETIRED LEAVING GOVERNMENT TO HIS CHILDREN – AETHLING EDWARD HAD CHARGE OF WESSEX WHILST HIS DAUGHTER ATHELFLEAD AND HER HUISBAND ATHELREAD CONTROLLED MERCIA. HE SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME A SYMBOLIC, MANDELA- EQSUE ‘FATHER OF THE NATION’ FIGURE AND DEVOTED HIS LAST YEARS TO WRITING AND CORRESPONDING WITH OTHER RULERS AS FAR AWAY AS BAGHDAD.

9. DEATH ALFRED HAD CAUSE TO BE SATISFIED WITH HIS POLITICAL LEGACY – HE LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO SEE BOTH HIS SON EDWARD AND GRANDSON ATHELSTAN DEVELOP AS FINE KINGS. HE DIED IN 899 PROBABLY OF THE DIGESTIVE DIESEASER THAT HAD PLAGUED HIS WHOLE LIFE. ALFRED’S EXISTANT WILL IS TESTAMENT TO THE WEALTH HE HAD BROUGHT TO ENGLAND – HE LEFT £200 FOR MASSES FOR HIS SOUL AND HIS FATHERS AND HE HAD A NEW MINSTER BUILT SPECIFICALLY AT WINCHESTER FOR HIS BODY. EDWARD’S SUCESSION WAS PEACEFUL AND INITIALLY UNOPPOSED ALTHOUGH HE DID HAVE TO QUELL A VIKING BACKED BID BY HIS COUSIN ATHELWOLD THAT ENDED IN THE LATTER’S DEATH IN BATTLE IN 902. HENCFORWARD THE PRCEDENT ESTABLISHED BY ALFRED THAT THE KING SHOULD NAME HIS SUCCESSOR ENDURED.