282 



move was now made to the station, and after heartily thanking the 

 Mayor for his kindness in giving up so much of his time to assist 

 and inform the members of the Chib, the return journey was 

 commenced. The weather had been fine all day, but when the 

 train got as far as Bruton traces were found of the hail and 

 thunder which had passed over all the district between that 

 and Bath. 



WEDMOKE AND KING ALFRED'S PALACE. 



A large number of members and several friends mustered on 

 Tuesday morning Sept. 2nd, for the last excursion of the season, 

 and despite various inconveniences consequent on travelling by the 

 G.W.R. reached Cheddar in safety, and were there joined by the 

 Vice-President (the Rev. Preb. Scarth). The object of the 

 excursion was to examine the excavations at Mudgley on the 

 supposed site of King Alfred's palace. The drive from Cheddar 

 through Wedmore to this place through the rich Somersetshire 

 country was very pleasant. 



When the party had reached the ground where the excavations 

 at Mudgley are being carried out, on the supposed site of the 

 Villa Regia of King Alfred the Great, they were met by the Rev. 

 Sydenham Hervey, the Vicar of "Wedmore, who had kindly under- 

 taken to conduct the party over them. The Vice-President having 

 gathered the members together, made a short statement of the 

 circumstances which led to the excavations. They had been 

 undertaken in consequence of the meeting held at Wedmore in the 

 autumn of last year to commemorate the millenary of the Peace of 

 Wedmore, which was concluded between Alfred and Guthrum, 

 the Dane, A.D. 878, when Guthrum was baptised at Allei-, and his 

 chrism loosing, which took place at Wedmore, is thus entered in 

 the Saxon chronicle : — " Cujus Chrismatis solutio oc!avo die in 

 Villa Regia, quae dicitur Wsedmor fuit." The fact then of Alfred 

 the Great having a villa at Wedmore is undoubted, and the entry 

 in the Saxon chronicle is repeated and confirmed by Asser in his 



