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Alfred the Great Statue, Winchester
Alfred (r. 871-899) became King of Wessex when the Vikings seemed to be in the ascendency in Britain. After defeating the Viking leader, Guthrum, at the Battle of Edington in 878, Alfred became the leader of the remaining free English peoples in southern England and crafted his kingdom into a stronghold, building fortified towns, reforming his army and constructing a fleet to guard his coasts. Alfred also left a cultural legacy in promoting literacy and education amongst his followers and becoming a great patron of the church.
The bronze statue of Alfred the Great was commissioned by the Winchester City Corporation and the Mayor of Winchester, Alfred Bowker, and designed by Hamo Thornycroft. It was unveiled to large crowds in 1901 for the “Alfred Millenary” (1000 years since his death), as it was commonly believed that the king died in 901 rather than the real year, 899. The statue portrays a 15-foot Alfred, with his right hand raised, holding a cross-hilted sword and a shield in his left hand – symbols both of his success in war and protection of the church.
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