Posts by HELEN BANHAM

Cenwalh Anglo Saxon King

Winchester became the heart of the kingdom of Wessex thanks to the dynasty of the early Saxon king Cerdic but it was Cenwwalh, who, on converting to Christianity, established Winchester as an ecclesiastical centre whose force was felt throughout northe…

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Winchester Jewish Community

Winchester had shown a tolerance to it’s Jewish community in the C12th, even as other English towns were rising against them but the rise in anti -semitism in the C13th saw a change in attitude and brought about a decline in the city itself

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Hamwic, Hampshire’s Anglo Saxon Port

The withdrawal of Roman forces from Britain early in the C5th and the resulting decline in central administration, left a vacuum for all sorts to exploit, there was a rapid decline in the money supply and the arrival of Teutonic raiders and settlers ha…

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The Death of William Rufus

The life of King William Rufus is inextricably bound to the county of Hampshire but it is his death in Hampshire’s New Forest that seems to have captured the imagination of every schoolchild in England and quite possibly, because of it’s ci…

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Hampshire ‘Feet of Fines’

‘Feet of Fines’ documents for Hampshire date back to 1199 and give surnames and placenames of people living in Hampshire in the Medieval period. These are important resources for Hampshire History and help to build a picture of community and settlement…

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Hampshire Domesday

The history of C11th Hampshire is contained within Domesday, which gives a rich picture of life in the county nearly a thousand years ago

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What is a Hampshire Hog?

People of Hampshire are colloquially referred to as ‘Hampshire Hogs’ a reference to the Hampshire Pig which was bred out of the wild boar that roamed the New Forest a thousand years ago

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Saxon Corhampton Church

When considering Anglo Saxon Hampshire, the little church at Corhampton has to be the jewel in the crown, with Saxon features springing from it’s feet upwards.

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King Alfred’s Navy

King Alfred left many enduring marks on the county of Hampshire and England. One of his legacies is that of a navy. He designed ships to out do the Danish ships that threatened the southern coast of England.

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Vikings Move Against Wessex

Alfred held out against the Viking invasion and showed great skills in organizing his militia, so that when the opportunity to crush the Danish attack, he did so, decisively and coherently at the Battle of Edington

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