Sherborne

But alas, in the days that are coming it is the sword rather than the book which will prevail, and the cares of state and the defence of the country will shortly engross all my time, and leave me but little leisure for the studies I love so well.

There are the lands, the king said, of Ebald, ealdorman of Sherbourne, in Dorset.

He died but last week and has left no children.

These lands I will grant to Edmund in return for liege and true service.

The rapidity of its manoeuvring, the manner in which men at one moment scattered were in another formed in a serried mass, against which all their efforts broke as waves against a rock, seemed to them to be something superhuman.

In that part of Wessex, therefore, the invaders gradually withdrew their forces across the frontier, but in other parts of the country, the tide of invasion being unchecked, large tracts of country had been devastated, and the West Saxons could nowhere make head against them.

One day a messenger reached Edmund, telling him that a large Danish army was approaching Sherbourne, and urging him to return instantly to the defence of his earldom.

With rapid marches he proceeded thither, and on arriving at his house he found that the Danes were but a few miles away, and that the whole country was in a state of panic.

This shift reflected both strategic concerns and the broader push for reform across England.

Similarly, the Diocese of Salisbury began as the Ancient See of Sherborne around 1075 before merging with Ramsbury in 1058, a move that helped consolidate resources.

By the 12th century, it had taken Old Sarum as its base, aligning ecclesiastical authority with emerging urban centres.

Today it covers Dorset and much of Wiltshire, preserving that medieval legacy.

In contemporary times, many English dioceses preserve the footprints of their early medieval predecessors.

For instance, Chichester remains the spiritual centre of Sussex, just as it was after Celsey's move to the city.

Salisbury still encompasses Dorset and parts of Wiltshire, reflecting its original merger with Ramsbury and Sherborne.

Through their relocations, reforms, and occasional rebellions, early bishops navigated an unstable landscape shaped by war, invasion, and political change.

J.

A. Giles End of Introduction THE LIFE OF KING ALFRED by Asser, Bishop of Sherborne Translated by J.

A. Giles Part 1 Section 1 THE LIFE OF KING ALFRED FROM A.D. 849 TO A.D. 887 PART I In the year of our Lord's Incarnation 849 was born Alfred, King of the Anglo-Saxons, at the royal village of Wanating in Berkshire, which country has its name from the wood of Baroque, where the box-tree grows most abundantly.

His genealogy is traced in the following order.

In this year also died Lothair, the Roman emperor, son of the pious Louis Augustus, in the same year the aforesaid venerable king ethelwolf released the tenth part of all his kingdom from all royal service and tribute and with a pen never to be forgotten offered it up to god the one and the three in one in the cross of christ for the redemption of his own soul and of his predecessors In the same year he went to Rome, with much honour, and taking with him his son, the aforesaid King Alfred, for a second journey thither, because he loved him more than his other sons, he remained there a whole year, after which he returned to his own country, bringing with him Judith, daughter of Charles, the King of the Franks.

in the meantime however whilst king ethelwolf was residing beyond the sea a base deed was done repugnant to the morals of all christians in the western part of Selwood.

For King Aethelwold, son of King Aethelwulf, and Alstan, bishop of the church of Sherborne, with Aeonwulf, earl of the district of Somerton, are said to have made a conspiracy together that King Aethelwulf, on his return from Rome, should never again be received into his kingdom.

this crime unheard of in all previous ages is ascribed by many to the bishop and earl alone as resulting from their counsels many also ascribe it solely to the insolence of the king because that king was pertinacious in this matter and in many other perversities as we have heard related by certain persons as also was proved by the result of that which follows for as he was returning from rome his son aforesaid with all his counsellors or as i ought to say his conspirators attempted to perpetrate the crime of repulsing the king from his own kingdom but neither did god permit the deed nor would the nobles of all saxony consent to it for to prevent this irremediable evil to saxony of a son warring against his father or rather of the whole nation carrying on civil war either on the side of the one or the other the extraordinary mildness of the father seconded by the consent of all the nobles divided between the two the kingdom which had hitherto been undivided the eastern parts were given to the father and the western to the son for where the father ought by just right to reign there his unjust and obstinate son did reign for the western part of saxony is always preferable to the eastern when ethelwolf therefore was coming from rome all that nation as was fitting so delighted in the arrival of the old man that if he permitted them they would have expelled his rebellious son ethelbald with all his counsellors out of the kingdom but he as we have said acting with great clemency and prudent counsel so wished things to be done that the kingdom might not come into danger and he placed Judith, daughter of King Charles, whom he had received from his father, by his own side on the regal throne, without any controversy or enmity from his nobles, even to the end of his life, contrary to the perverse custom of that nation.

Dorset estimates that second potential market at 6.4 million people, with 15% prepared to visit outside the main tourism season.

And that's where the wider North Dorset offer becomes important, because the strategy specifically describes Shaftesbury, Sherborne and Gillingham as the county's northern hidden gems, and links them with the Cranbourne Chase National Landscape and International Dark Sky Reserve.

Shaftesbury also gets another significant mention – because Gold Hill is included in Dorset's list of recognised tourism icons, alongside places including the Jurassic Coast and Weymouth, although the council clearly accepts that the coast currently has a much stronger pull, particularly with overseas visitors.

The proposed answer is to use those places as the hook which gets people into Dorset, and then do more to persuade visitors to travel elsewhere, with the plan specifically saying tourism communications should especially encourage people to explore the north and west.

Also, the lane that runs from the A30 of Milkwell by Ludwell to the Donheads, where you can walk left for Donheads and Mary or right for Donheads and Andrew, that's closed for work for Wessex Internet until the 11th.

On the A30, on the other side of Shaftesbury, just to the west of the River Bridge and West Stour, just on the western side of the garage, you'll find temporary traffic lights there on the Sherbourne Road, the A30, so they can allow safe working conditions for a crew working on a building development there.

Just be mindful, there'll be some disruption

with the closure of Dennis Lane.

The consultations expected later...

The former headteacher at Shaftesbury Primary School, Paul Lavis, has taken on the most senior role in the Sherbourne Area Schools Trust, which runs 13 primary schools, four secondary schools and one alternative provision setting for more than 5,700 students across Dorset and South Somerset.

The trust also operates Shaftesbury School, Shaftesbury Primary, Motcombe Primary and St Andrews and Fontmill Magna locally.

Paul will serve as acting chief executive for a year following the unexpected early departure of former chief executive Dave Watson.

He had been due to retire at Christmas, but SAST say family circumstances mean he left earlier than planned and won't be returning.

In a statement, the Sherbourne Area Schools Trust say he provided a dedicated and committed leadership.

and help strengthen the Trust both financially and educationally.

Paul Lavis has been part of the Trust's senior leadership team since leaving his day-to-day role at Shaftesbury Primary, and SAST say his appointment will provide stability while a recruitment process for a permanent chief executive takes place next year.

And so who else, how far are you travelling?

what was our furthest away we didn't have to go overly far this year so we played Compton House which is between Sherbourne and Yeovil on the dual carriageway there we play at Sherbourne but other than that we were quite lucky this year we didn't have to make any really long away travels we went to Pool Town actually we played at Pool Town in the park

And that was probably the furthest? It

was probably the furthest, yeah.

And we were saying to... that's what they should join plowman supper cash bar just 10 pounds that looks good right gotta jump in the car Hello and a very good afternoon.

It's very sunny here in Sherbourne.

I'm sitting outside the Abbey on one of my favourite benches and the sun is directly on me and I've dressed for autumn so I'm feeling nice and cosy and I thought I would do a little bit of reading here because it's so beautiful and And I'm behind with some of the books.

So here I am.