Anglo-Saxon Somerset

Author: Michael Costen
Anglo-Saxon Somerset
Oxbow Books
2011
ISBN: 1842179888
Format: PDF
Size: 42,4 МБ
Language: English
Pages: 273
The county of Somerset cannot lay claim to have been an Anglo-Saxon kingdom like Kent or Sussex, but nevertheless it has a history as a distinct region which can be traced to the seventh century and there are hints of an earlier entity in the post-Roman period. Although the detail of this society is difficult to recover, there is no doubt that it was successful in maintaining its independence for over two centuries before it was over-run by the Anglo-Saxons from the east. On the edge of the highland zone, with its diverse topography, newly conquered Somerset provided the early Anglo-Saxon kings and aristocracy with a rich prize, which they were quick to exploit. This book traces the way in which the king and his warrior followers shaped the countryside to meet the particular needs of a society which was still in the process of formation when it created Somerset.