The Cheddar Palace was established in the 9th century,[3] in Cheddar, Somerset, England. It was a royal hunting lodge in the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods and hosted the Witenagemot in the 10th century.
Nearby are the ruins of the 14th-century St Columbanus Chapel. Roman artifacts and a burial have also been discovered. The site of the palace is now marked by concrete slabs within the grounds of The Kings of Wessex Academy.[1]
History
Reconstruction of the Saxon palace at Cheddar
A wooden "great hall" was constructed around the reign of King Alfred the Great (died 899 AD) and the "community at Cheddar" received a special mention in his will.[4] At this time the building served as a minster.[5][6] It was rebuilt around 930 and a chapel and other buildings were added, becoming a royal hunting lodge.[5]
During the Saxon period, it was used on three occasions in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot, an assembly of powerful figures, in 941, 956 and 968,[7] probably for Æthelstan and Edgar the Peaceful.[1] There is documentary evidence that Henry I visited the palace in 1121 and 1130 and Henry II in 1158.[8] Several expansions of the site took place between the Saxon and medieval eras.[6][9]
The remains were excavated during the construction of the school, but have since been re-buried.[7] The layout is marked with concrete plinths.[6]
St Columbanus Chapel
Next to the site are ruins of a 14th-century chapel dedicated to St. Columbanus.[11] It stands on a site originally built on in the 10th century and enlarged in the 11th. In the 17th century it became a private dwelling that survived until 1910.[1][12]
The building was octagonal in plan. End walls remain standing and are supported by diagonal corner buttresses; however the north and south walls are now only approximately 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) high.[2]
In January 2006, during the building of a new languages block at the school, a grave, believed to be Roman, was uncovered.[13] The grave contained the skeleton of a man, believed to be around 50 years old and pagan rather than Christian due to the north-south orientation of the grave.[6][13]
Various Roman artifacts, including wall plaster and tesserae, dating from the 1st to the 4th centuries have also been found.[1][5] It has been suggested that this may be linked with the settlement of Iscalis, whose location is unknown.[1]
^ abcdRichardson, Miranda (2003). "Cheddar Archaeological Assessment"(PDF). Somerset Extensive Urban Survey. South West Heritage Trust. Archived from the original(PDF) on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
