The Making of the Kingdom of Wessex
On Thursday the 29th October we welcome to the civic offices, David Dawson. David will present a talk on the Making of the Kingdom of Wessex. Aka Saxon Wiltshire.
The Making of the Kingdom of Wessex
David looks at the evidence from North Wiltshire of how the Saxons came to settle in England as the power of the Roman Empire had faded and England had become a failed state.
Saxon society buried both men and women with their treasured possessions. That act demonstrated their status in life and left a vivid picture of how they organised their society.
The Viking invaders challenged both the Kingdom of Wessex and the rise of Christianity. This before King Alfred led the fight-back, leading to a flowering of learning and culture.
The Alfred Jewel
The Alfred Jewel is a masterpiece of goldsmith’s work formed around a tear-shaped slice of rock crystal. Its inscription: AELFRED MEC HEHT GEWYRCAN – ‘Alfred ordered me to be made’ – connects the jewel with King Alfred the Great (r. 871–899) making it among the most significant of royal relics.
Alfred ruled the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex and is famous for opposing the Vikings and unifying southern England. He’s also credited with being a learned man, commissioning translations of religious texts from Latin into Anglo-Saxon.
More about the Alfred Jewel here: https://www.ashmolean.org/alfred-jewel
When and where
Our talks take place in the council chamber in Swindon’s civic offices on Euclid Street. Doors open at 7pm.
£8 for members and £10 for non-members. As with all our talks you can pay at the door. In cash or via credit card.
Find our full talks programme here: https://friendsofmas.org/events/categories/talks/
Join the Friends
Find out more about joining the Friends and the ways in which we support the work of MAS here:https://friendsofmas.org/membership/
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Date/Time
Date(s) - 29/10/2026
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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