Sitting in the heart of Somerset, this mediaeval market town was once the capital of the entire country way before it even gained its name as England and was instead an entirely different kingdom.
Somerton is the quaint town that lent its name to the county of Somerset, rich with history and dating all the way back to the 14th century. In the Middle Ages, it held a weekly market that helped it become a significant trading point with particular prominence in the trades of wool and agriculture.
Nowadays, it’s frequented by visitors for its charming attractions, including the National Trust site Lytes Cary Manor, which houses a beautiful mediaeval manor and a picturesque garden. Nestled in the town are various famed churches with stunning dated architecture and endless stories of the town’s unbelievable past.
It’s thought that around the beginning of the 14th century this humble county town was potentially the capital of the entirety of Wessex, also known as the Kingdom of the West Saxons. Wessex itself was a powerful kingdom in the south of the country that eventually united England under its rule.
While Somerton acted as an important royal holding for the Saxon kings of Wessex, leading many to believe it once stood as the capital of the kingdom, it has since been cited that Winchester was the official documented capital.The historic city of Winchester under King Alfred the Great’s rule acted as the royal centre for the kings and remained the capital for centuries before London took its place.
History of Wessex
The name itself is believed to have originated from the Old English ‘Westseaxna rice’, referring to the Kingdom of the West Saxons. Although it’s not to be confused with the semi-fictional region in the southwest that forms part of Thomas Hardy’s novels.
Wessex was a strong and powerful kingdom as early as the 6th century and held its own as the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms until it eventually united England. It was founded by Saxon leaders Cerdic and Cynric of the Gewisse, according to the West Saxon Genealogical Regnal List and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, although some may argue this is simply a legend.
It later became a Christian kingdom and expanded under the reign of Cenwalh until Cædwalla later conquered Sussex, Kent and the Isle of Wight, slowly but surely. As other kingdoms like Mercia grew, Wessex was able to largely retain its independence up until it was believed to be invaded by the Danes in 871.
After being successful in repelling the Viking threat in 878 AD, the kingdom became dominant among those that remained under the Anglo-Saxons. It was finally in 927 AD that it saw its demise when it became what we know as England today, joining forces with the likes of Northumbria, Mercia, and East Anglia, all now housed under one ruler.
Other kingdoms
The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that were collectively known as the Heptarchy were made up of seven places that joined forces as England after the Roman departure. Unified around 929 AD, they became one under Æthelstan, or Athelstan, who modern-day historians consider to be the first official king of the country.
The seven major kingdoms were considered to be Wessex, based in the Southwest; Mercia, the Midlands; Northumbria, in the North; and East Anglia, made up of both Norfolk and Suffolk. Joining them were Essex with the East Saxons, Sussex with the South Saxons and lastly, Kent.
Although, by the 9th century, the less dominant kingdoms had been absorbed by those more powerful, leaving four ruling kingdoms. The final four were Wessex, which we know to have played a crucial role in the unification of England as we know it, Mercia, Northumbria and East Anglia.