An exiled King, Vikings and posh dinner parties
‘MAGICAL’ STORY OF THE UK’S OLDEST ANGLO-SAXON HOUSE ON BANKS OF RIVER TRENT
THE fascinating history of the UK’S oldest surviving Anglo-saxon building – nestled on the banks of the River Trent – features an exiled King, Vikings and fancy dinner parties.
The caves that make up Anchor Church, just upstream from Swarkestone Bridge, once formed part of the riverbank.
It is understood that the listed monument became the home of an exiled monarch way back in the ninth century.
It was also used by Vikings and hermits before Sir Robert Burdett, who served as High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1738, modified the caves so he could host dinners.
Changes included adding bricks and a chimney, as well as window frames and opening up the walls.
The back story of the historic dwelling featured on a recent episode of Countryfile when the BBC cameras put the focus on Trent Valley, including visiting Trentham Gardens.
Dr Mark Knight, who is from Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and is leading the restoration of the building and the area where it resides, told the show: “It was long believed to be St Hardulph’s dwelling.
“St Hardulph is the same as Eardwulf – king of Northumbria. He’s been deposed from his own kingdom. He’s now in exile in Mercia and he decides this is going to be the perfect spot for him.
“When he arrived here we don’t really know what was here. Maybe there was a much smaller cave that an earlier hermit had lived in. But what he did was carve this out of a solid sandstone around 810.”
During the episode, he explains that the cave was divided into three separate rooms, with an area overlooking the river where Eardwulf and his followers would go to pray.
“He would have felt more connected to his God, and I don’t doubt he would have felt more connected to the landscape from this point,” Dr Knight said.
“Just look how beautiful it is. The stories continue over time. Vikings arrived in the winter of 873 into 874. They sailed along the Trent to nearby Repton. It’s almost certain that they would have moored some of their ships here.
“Over the centuries it’s then been lived in by people on the margins of society because it’s on the edge of the Trent, it’s on the edge of parishes.
“It’s sort of an in-between place and a magical place.”
Outlining his hopes for the future of the caves, Dr Knight added: “We really want people to visit this site. We want to connect communities with their historic environment because that way it will be better protected.
“You might not own it personally, it’s not your property, but it’s part of who you are, it’s part of who we all are, and that’s the key to this.
“I hope this site will be here in another thousand years and a thousand years beyond that. I hope we are able to protect it – give it the protection it deserves.”