Jump to content

A drive around the New Forest in the 1040's


Saint-scooby
 Share

Recommended Posts

Really interesting, lead me to a Wikipedia search about Brockenhurst. However, I didn't see as many Anglo-Saxons as I would have thought for 1040.

 

Anglo-Saxons were more eastern areas, I thought. This region was more Celtic tribes. When I first moved here in 1971 I noticed that there seemed to be more dark-haired short people around than there were in Essex. I had been used to tall blond specimens. :)

Edited by Whitey Grandad
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wessex or the land of The West Saxons was essentially Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire parts of Gloucester and most of Devon. What is today Cornwall was by 1040 the main Celtic stronghold in Southern England. Essentially the Celts had been pushed to the fringes, Cornwall, Wales and Ireland by the successive invasions of the Angles and the Saxons in the South and West and the Vikings in the North and East. So the New Forest would have been Anglo Saxon, the predominance of blonde hair is a red herring when it comes to Angles and Saxons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m part way through reading England’s Lost Eden: Adventures in a Victorian Utopia by Philip Hoare; it focuses largely on a weird religious sect called the Girlingites (aka New Forest Shakers) that descended on Hordle, near Lymington in the 1870s, and also on the construction, about the same time, of Sway Tower, which can be glimpsed on that footage. The book also provides some interesting insights into the New Forest during those times.

 

NB. This is the second time in less than a month that I’ve mentioned one of this author’s books on here – the other one was Spike Island, which was mainly about Netley Military Hospital. I promise I’m not his agent or one of his relations; indeed, I’ve never even met the bloke! Notwithstanding, his books are very interesting and well written, imo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wessex or the land of The West Saxons was essentially Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire parts of Gloucester and most of Devon. What is today Cornwall was by 1040 the main Celtic stronghold in Southern England. Essentially the Celts had been pushed to the fringes, Cornwall, Wales and Ireland by the successive invasions of the Angles and the Saxons in the South and West and the Vikings in the North and East. So the New Forest would have been Anglo Saxon, the predominance of blonde hair is a red herring when it comes to Angles and Saxons.

 

That's true, but I go back further than most ;)

 

Blonde hair is nice though :D It was just an unscientific observation of mine but I have noticed a greater predominance of fair hair in Denmark, but that was more Juteland.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...