The Anglo-Saxon Avon Valley Frontier: A River of Two Halves

The Anglo-Saxon Avon Valley Frontier: A River of Two Halves is a groundbreaking exploration of the Anglo-Saxon 'Avon Valley frontier', combining archaeology and documentary sources to present a case for remarkable continuity as measured by a wide range of evidence. Based on research in the departmen [...]
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The Anglo-Saxon Avon Valley Frontier: A River of Two Halves is a groundbreaking exploration of the Anglo-Saxon 'Avon Valley frontier', combining archaeology and documentary sources to present a case for remarkable continuity as measured by a wide range of evidence. Based on research in the department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Cambridge University, this study explores the evidence of archaeology, chronicles, charters and place names to analyze the history of the 'Bristol Avon' as a frontier from the 4th to the 11th century. The result is a regional history that mirrors the history of Anglo-Saxon England. It also reveals a striking continuity in the use of the Avon Valley as a frontier, the roots of which are discernible in the Late Iron Age. Yet this continuity tells two different stories either side of Bath, which influenced the actions of successor kingdoms over hundreds of years. In this history, Offa, Alfred, Guthrum, Edward the Elder, Athelstan, Edgar and Cnut all played their parts. Even the legendary Arthur and the semi-legendary Vortigern have walk-on parts. What is surprising is that 21st-century civil and church boundaries still reflect this history which is over 1,500 years old.