In 875 AD, Wareham was besieged by a Viking army led by Prince Guthrum. It was several months before King Alfred could reclaim the town for the Saxons. To safeguard Wareham against such Viking attacks, King Alfred ordered its fortification into a ‘Burgh’ town.

Burgh towns are among the earliest examples of planned medieval towns in Western Europe, typically surrounded by defensive walls to offer local residents protection from hostile invaders.

The Burghal Hidage, a document from the early tenth century, lists thirty-five fortified centers in Wessex, including Wareham. Notably, Wareham stands out as the only burgh town where the original defenses remain largely intact.

Over a millennium ago, approximately two centuries before William the Conqueror staked his contested claim to the English throne, Dorset emerged as a crucial area within the Anglo-Saxon dominion of Wessex. Wareham is perched upon the boundary separating the Isle of Purbeck and the remainder of Dorset.

Positioned strategically between the River Piddle to its north and the River Frome to its south, Wareham harbours a rich and varied history.

Its earthen walls, erected as fortifications against Viking invasions, still persist today, designating Wareham as one of only two Saxon walled towns extant in the nation.

Viking Aggressors

As mentioned previously, in 875 AD, a Viking force of approximately 2,000 men marched from East Anglia to raid the Saxon town of Wareham. Compounding the threat, a large Viking fleet of 120 ships entered Poole Bay, poised for a short journey up the Frome River to Wareham.

The town was subsequently occupied for several months until King Alfred was able to gather sufficient forces to outnumber the Vikings. He then proposed a deal to their leader, Prince Guthrum.

Under the agreement, the Vikings swore to leave Wessex and agreed to an exchange of hostages to confirm the arrangement.

However, the treaty was quickly violated, and the hostages were killed. The Vikings fled under the cover of night towards Exeter. Fortunately for Alfred, many of the Viking ships were destroyed in a major storm along the Dorset coast, diminishing their escape efforts.

King Alfred Created Burhs

To safeguard against the relentless Viking incursions, King Alfred established a network of fortified towns across his kingdom of Wessex, known as Burhs (later called Boroughs), including the town of Wareham.

Those in Wareham who had endured the occupation of 876 were likely eager to follow the directives of a king who appeared to be shifting the momentum back in favor of the English.

These Burhs featured a systematic, planned layout, often in a regular grid of streets, encircled by defensive walls. They were strategically placed so that no subject of King Alfred was more than 19 miles away from a safe haven.

This setup also allowed Alfred’s restructured military to respond to any attack within the kingdom on the same day. Alfred passed away in 899.

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Many of these towns, like Wareham, were located along rivers, which not only facilitated inland supply lines but also hindered Viking access via their shallow-draft longships into the interior of the kingdom.

By the late 9th century, Wareham had been fortified with defensive earthworks or walls on three sides. The southern boundary was naturally protected by the River Frome and the marshland beyond. Archaeological excavations have shown that these earth walls were reinforced and crowned with a timber-faced rampart.

A document known as the ‘Burghal Hidage’, from the early 900s, lists 31 fortified sites in Wessex, including Wareham. Wareham’s defenses were the fourth largest in the kingdom, stretching over 2,200 yards. It is estimated that 1,600 local men would have been mobilized to construct and maintain these fortifications.

Wareham stands out for its remarkably well-preserved fortifications, although similar structures can also be observed in places like Wallingford on the Thames and Cricklade in Wiltshire.

Wareham Becomes an Important Town

Inside the fortified walls, the town of Wareham was organised with several houses aligned along main streets, arranged in a grid pattern and known today as North, South, West, and East Street.

Significant religious structures included the Lady St Mary church, built around 700, All Saints Church near the south bridge, and St Martin’s by the north gate. It is believed that the daughter of Alfred the Great had Lady St Mary’s rebuilt following the devastation of the Viking raid in 876.

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Despite being destroyed by Viking raiders, the nunnery continued to serve as a crucial religious site, eventually evolving into a priory or monastery for French Benedictine monks by the early 12th century.

Burhs also played a critical role as commercial and administrative centers to finance their construction and upkeep. Their fortifications protected several of England’s royal mints, including one in Wareham located at what is now St John’s Hill.

By the 10th century, during the reign of Ethelred the Unready, the town’s defenses were bolstered with the addition of a stone wall at least 2 meters wide to the existing earthworks. Although similar fortifications exist in other towns like Wallingford and Cricklade, Wareham’s walls are among the best-preserved.

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, two Saxon kings were buried in Wareham. King Beorhtric reportedly died in 802 after accidentally consuming poison intended for him by his wife. The other, Edward the Martyr, was murdered in 978 at Corfe Castle, possibly by the order of his stepmother. His remains were later transferred to Shaftesbury Abbey.

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In 1015, following the death of the King of England, the Viking King Canute attacked Wareham, sailing up the River Frome and leaving the town in ruins. According to legend, this devastation included the destruction of St Martin’s Church, which was subsequently rebuilt in 1030.

Original Path

The defensive design in Wareham is still discernible along its original path: an earthen rampart encircles the old town’s eastern, northern, and western flanks, while seemingly depending on the River Frome for defense on the southern edge.

The banks on the western side experienced enhancements in 1940, being utilised as anti-tank trenches, yet it’s thought that their current elevation is no greater than it was in the late 9th century.

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What is a Burghal Hidage?

The Burghal Hidage is a historical document that provides crucial insights into the network of fortifications (“burhs”) established in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, primarily during the reign of King Alfred the Great in the late 9th century.

Here are some key aspects and significance of the Burghal Hidage:

1. Purpose and Strategy:

• Defensive Network: The document essentially lists the various burhs established across Wessex and provides data regarding their defensive capabilities and the lands associated with them.
• Strategic Planning: It illustrates Alfred’s strategic approach to defending his kingdom against Viking invasions by establishing a system of fortifications.

2. Content of the Document:

• Fortifications List: The Burghal Hidage lists around 30 burhs, including their respective sizes, expressed in hides, which is an old English unit of measurement.
• Manpower Requirements: The document outlines the expected manpower needed to defend each burh and the amount of land (in hides) required to support each soldier.
• Geographic Distribution: It shows the geographic distribution of these fortified towns throughout Wessex, reflecting a deliberate strategy to ensure that no part of the kingdom was too far from a place of refuge.

3. Historical Significance:

• Insight into Saxon Defense: The Burghal Hidage offers historians invaluable insights into the defensive strategies of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom and the socio-economic structures that supported it.
• Documenting Fortifications: The list helps to identify and understand the fortifications of that era, thereby providing context for archaeological studies and historical research.

4. Military and Economic Insight:

• Allocation of Resources: The Hidage not only focuses on the military aspect but also sheds light on the economic setup of the period, illustrating how resources were allocated for the defense.
• Civil and Military Integration: It signifies the integration of civil and military infrastructures, demonstrating how economic and agricultural resources were intertwined with the kingdom’s defense mechanisms.

5. Societal Structure:

• Feudal System: The details about the hides and their allocation to maintain soldiers provide a glimpse into the societal and feudal structures of the period, where land ownership and military service were closely linked.
• Community Involvement: The burh system involved the local communities in the defense of the realm, influencing settlement patterns and economic activities in the vicinity of these fortifications.