In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Athelney like this:
ATHELNEY, a railway station and quondam island in Lyng parish, Somerset. The station is on the Durston and Yeovil branch of the Bristol and Exeter railway, 4½ miles WNW of Langport. The quondam island is a rising-ground, or small hill, of about 100 acres, surrounded by marshes, at the confluence of the rivers Tone and Parret. ...
King Alfred took refuge here, in 879, after his defeat by the Danes; made frequent incursions hence against them till he became able to take the field for their complete overthrow; and founded here, in 888, a Benedictine abbey, in expression of gratitude for his victories. The abbot did not sit in parliament; yet enjoyed great privileges, and was regarded as a spiritual lord. The edifice is extinct; but recent traces of it show it to have been large. A stone pillar, with an appropriate inscription, was erected on the spot, in 1801, by John Slade, Esq., the then proprietor. An amulet of enamel and gold, inscribed with words signifying "Alfred cansed me to be made," was found on Athelney in the 17th century, and is now in the Ashmolean museum.
Athelney through time
Athelney is now part of Taunton Deane district. Click here for graphs and data of how Taunton Deane has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Athelney itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Athelney, in Taunton Deane and Somerset | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/20649
Date accessed: 24th April 2024
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