Thoughts on the Frontiers of Early Medieval England
It would seem that those who wielded power in England in the centuries before the Norman Conquest became somewhat obsessed with establishing borderlines: whether to keep out their neighbours, to control new land or to simply assert their identity as rulers. Ryan Lavelle airs his current thoughts on the ways in which these edge-y manifestations of ‘England’ were used by political classes, both those at the centre and those on the boundaries, as well as where the realities of life on the edge ensured that a degree of frontier fuzziness remained.
Brief Bio
Ryan Lavelle is Professor in Early Medieval History at the University of Winchester. His research focuses on power and its limits, and he has written and edited a number of books on Anglo-Saxon England, including Alfred’s Wars (2010), Danes in Wessex (edited with Simon Roffey, 2016), Cnut: The North Sea King (2017), and Places of Contested Power (2020). He hopes that soon he will be able to add a book on early English borders to that list.
Standard Stuff
Talks are usually on the 4th Wednesday of every month, at 7:00 for 7:30, at The Winchester Club in Winchester. Please take a look at the FAQs for more info.
Admission is £5 which also gives you an entry in the book raffle. We take cash and major cards (cards preferred).
The event is in two parts – the talk and then a Q&A after the interval. We encourage you to support the venue by indulging in the available drinks before and during the event.
You are also welcome to join us for a drink in the bar after the event.