The battle of Brunanburgh was a decisive battle fought in 937. Brunanburgh is not thought of when important battles spring to mind. Perhaps we think of Hastings or Towton or maybe even Bosworth but Brunanburgh as well as being one of the bloodiest battles fought on British soil is also, some would argue, the most defining for the England we know today as it was the final battle that king Aethelstan fought against the armies of The Welsh, Scots and Irish before finally uniting all the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms into one. Aethelstan (895-939) the grandson of Alfred the Great is known historically as England’s founding father although his own father Edward…

Athelstan was the grandson of Alfred the great, born between 893 and 895, he was the son of Edward the Elder who in turn was the first born son of Alfred. Not a lot is known about his mother Ecgwynn other than she did live at court. There is no record of a marriage between her and Edward and so came to be the question of Athelstan’s legitimacy and a pact that would see him unable to marry or sire an heir if he wanted to be King. It is thought that Athelstan was Alfred’s favourite grandson. At some point before the great king’s death he bestowed upon Athelstan a…