Greetings card: King Alfred’s statue, Wantage

Description

A greetings card of King Alfred’s statue at the Market Place, Wantage.  This is a digital drawing created by the artist Pauline Herbert.

Who was King Alfred?

In 849, Alfred, the King of the Anglo-Saxons, was born at the royal estate of Wantage, located in the district of Berkshire.  This district is named after the Berroc Wood, where box trees grow abundantly.  After ascending the throne, Alfred spent several years valiantly defending his kingdom against relentless Viking invasions. In 878, he won a decisive victory at the Battle of Edington, forcing the Vikings to accept a peace treaty that divided England – the Anglo-Saxon territories in the south and the Viking-ruled Danelaw in the north-east. Alfred also oversaw the conversion of Viking leader Guthrum to Christianity, solidifying his position as the dominant ruler in England. Emboldened by these triumphs, Alfred began styling himself as “King of the Anglo-Saxons” after reclaiming London from Viking control.

King Alfred also made contributions to law, education, Christianity, and culture in England.  Alfred died on 26 October 899 and he is the only king to be called ‘Great’.

King Alfred’s statue, Wantage

The majestic statue of Alfred the Great, commissioned by Count Gleichen, a relative of Queen Victoria, was unveiled on July 14, 1877 in the Wantage market place by the Prince and Princess of Wales.  The statue was commissioned by Lord and Lady Wantage, who were philanthropists and local landowners.

About the artist

Pauline Herbert is an artist and lives in Wantage.  She graduated in 1996 with a degree in Painting at Edinburgh College of Art.  She has specialised in lino-cut prints, digital art and recently Zentangle drawing.   Pauline recently became a Certificed Zentangle Teacher (CZT).  Her website is Scottyscapes and her Instagram account is Scottyscapesdotcom

Wantage Honey and King Alfred’s statue

For those of you looking for Wantage related gifts to go along side King Alfred’s statue, we sell Wantage Honey.

More information about this greeetings card

• This greetings card is approximately 125mm by 180mm
• Comes with a light blue coloured envelope
• The card is blank inside
• Weighs approximately 20 grams