Page 18 - Alfred the Great And His Legacy

Reason Three: Building Burhs

• In return for a grant of land called a hide (about 20 acres)each household would

have to contribute to a defensive militia.

• He also built up the river embankments. A royal palace was built near Wood

Street, also houses & workshops connected by smaller streets & alleys.

• The area occupied by buildings was only about a quarter of the total within the

walls, the remaining areas was used for grazing animals & market gardening.

• Most of the buildings were simple wooden structures, with stone being kept for

churches; but London became under Alfred a strategically important fortress town.

• It was well defended as Alfred had repaired the old Roman walls on both the river

& land sides. When the Vikings later assembled an army at Benfleet in Essex,

Alfred successfully led the Londoners to meet them & won a big victory over them.