King Alfred’s legend (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
Get involved! Send photos, video, news & views. Text WILTS GAZETTE to 80360 or email us
Marlborough & Pewsey Town Guide RSS Feed
King Alfred’s legend
11:43am Thursday 8th February 2007 in Marlborough & Pewsey Town Guide
King Alfred joins in Pewsey's celebrations when Winter Olympic heroine Shelley Rudman, who hails from the village, won silver in 2006
ASK for directions in Pewsey and the chances are your instructions will include the village's famous statue of Alfred The Great.
It stands in the centre of the Market Place at the junction of the village's High Street, North Street and River Street.
The stone statue is very much the spiritual centre of the village.
Although the village's connection with King Alfred goes back to the ninth century, the statue was not erected until 1913.
It was put in place to commemorate the Coronation of King George V in 1911.
Alfred was crowned the King of Wessex in 870AD and he owned much of the land around Pewsey. He defended the Kingdom of Wessex from Viking raids and in 878 he defeated the Danes in the Battle of Ethandune near Westbury.
Today he is remembered in Pewsey not only by the statue but also one of the carnival events, the traditional Feaste Tea.
The Feaste Tea is a celebration for all village pensioners and takes the form of a tea with entertainment.
