KING ALFRED'S PALACE.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3126, 24 February 1879, Page 1

KING ALFRED'S PALACE.

Mr Hunt, the hon. secretary of the Somersetshire Arcbwological Society, scuds us a report of an interesting discovery at Wed more. It is scarcely needful to remind those interested in such matters that before the Conquest Wedmore was the site of one of the palaces of the English Kings, and that the place belonged to the Crown. It was there that the great peace was made with the Danes in 878, and the chrisomloosiugof Guthorm was kept. In September last the I,oooth anniversary of this event was celebrated at Wedmoro under the auspices of the Bishop of Bath and Wells. Wednrre remained the property of the Crown until it was given to the See by Edward the Confessor, and at the same time Mudgeley, a hamlet of Wed* more, was granted to the Bishop by Lady Eadgytt, the Queen of Edward. Tradition has pointed out a certain field in Mudgeley, a mile from Wedraore Churh, as the site of the old palace. This is called the Court Garden, and there are many storiei of the treasure which is said to be hid* den there. Mr Sydenhara Hervey, the roctor, and son of Lord Arthur Horvey, the Bishop of BalU and Wells, hare lately made some excavations in this field. Extensive remains of a building have been found—not mere foundations, as the

walls are in some places plastered on the inside. The walls are massive, the mortar of an ancient character, and the whole appearance of the building speaks its great age. A large quantity of pottery has been found, some Roman and some of an early English character—one piece, a small and perfect female face, probably the mouth of a jar; handles of some vessels of the shape of amphorae, several bits ornamented with a rude band of leaves, &c. As yet no coins have been found. Some of the walls are buried at a depth beneath the surface of the land of 6ft to 10ft; others, which are on rock, are but thinly covered with earth. Five lines of wall have been opened, and Mr Hervey is now endeavouring to find the connexion between the different parts of the building. There can be little doubt but that he has discovered the remains of the old palace of our West Saxon Kings, the very scene of the high festival at which, 1,000 years ago, the peace was signed with the Danes, and the fillet was loosed from the brow of Gathorm, or rather iEthelstan, to call him by his new Christian name. The character of the pottery and the shape of some of the shiiigles which have been found seem to point to the probability that the o]s. English building was raised upon the site of some older Romano-Celtic villa. It is hoped that funds will be forthcoming to enable Mr llervey to carry out his explorations thoroughly, as it is thought almost certain that much remains to be laid open, and the discovery^of.coins, which are no doubt to be found, will make the whole matter more interesting and satisfactory.