King Alfred will walk the streets of Pewsey between 10.30am and 1pm on Friday to mark the summer solstice and celebrate the centenary of his statue being put in place in the village Market Place.

Pewsey Music Festival commissioned the "living statue" of King Alfred to appear at the sixth annual Pewsey Music Festival on Saturday, August 3.

But the 'king' was keen to make a June state visit to celebrate his statue’s 100 years’ standing in the village and he felt the summer solstice was the ideal time.

A palace spokesman said: “During his reign, His Royal Highness King Alfred owned much of the land in the Pewsey Vale.

“He may have been born in Wantage, but he always had a soft spot for the people of Pewsey. And he loves the spirit of carnival.”

Legend has it King Alfred left his wife in the care of the people of Pewsey when he went into battle, and in gratitude declared: “Henceforth on this day there shall be a feast!”

Pewsey folk took this one step further in 1898 by extending the celebrations with a carnival.

And in 2007 they took it further still by deciding that in addition to the carnival and feast, there should be a festival.

Pewsey Music Festival will be in Cooper’s Field, Ball Road, Pewsey, from noon to midnight on August 3.

Mick Quinn, of Supergrass, is headlining this year’s festival with his new group The DB Band while Legs Larry Smith, of The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, will also feature in English-American six-piece Los Barkus.

The diverse line-up also includes jazz, pop, reggae and psychedlia.

The festival also features local arts and crafts, including sculpting, thatching, spinning and wood-turning, and children's entertainment from local magician and clown Mad Pete.

This living statue is being created by Electric Cabaret specifically for the two Pewsey Music Festival-commissioned dates.