King Alfred the Great

King Alfred the Great King Alfred the Great (871-899) was one of the best kings ever to rule. He defended his kingdom from Viking raids, enacted a code of laws, and helped to give rebirth to religious and scholarly activity. During Alfred’s reign, he demonstrated military and strategic skills, sound authority and the capability to inspire men and plan for the future, great devotion to the support of religion, personal scholarship and the promotion …

…protection the men soldiers were given free plots of land within the burh. Alfred’s towns were very innovative for the time period. The construction of these fortified towns also known as “burhs” were to protect the people from Dane invasion. These towns were strategically placed throughout his kingdom so that there was no place in Wessex more than twenty miles from a burh. Consequently, the burh’s became centers of trade, commerce and government.