Chippenham, January, 878 AD
Chippenham, January, 878 ADOur arrival in Angle-land armed with an invitation from the King of Wessex to his court was confusing, to say the least. We soon discovered that his Kingdom was the last bulwark against the Scandinavian onslaught. Even Wessex was teetering and on the verge of collapse. We did not realise this, because our assumptions were so far removed from the reality of King Alfred’s situation.
By the midsummer of 877, we arrived at the royal palace in Winchester where we expected to find a welcoming monarch on his throne. Instead, we found taut-faced servants of various ranks, who informed us that the King was away fighting the Norsemen. If we supposed that he was dealing with a band of Norse raiders, we soon learnt otherwise. Messengers came and
