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Vortigern Studies > Vortigern > The Cities of Vortigern > Bradford-on-Avon |
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Bradford-on-Avon in
western Wiltshire was once called Wirtgernesburh,
which means ‘Vortigern’s Stronghold’.
Though this might simply indicate that Vortigern’s
name was attached to a wandering De Gestis
Regum Anglorum book I, chapter 23 Though corroborative evidence is absent, we must consider that William lived nearby and must have known the region well. When we consider the location in a geographical context it can be noticed that Brabford is not far from what once was the southern border of the Dobunnic tribal lands and later Roman province. This border is also marked by Wansdyke, a possibly early 5th century earthwork, linked to the 5th century refurbishment of South Cadbury Castle. Wansdyke is constructed as a border (not as a fortification), primarily occupied with blocking the lines of communication (i.e. the rivers and the roads) from the north. I have tried to link this activity with the civil war between Vortigern and Ambrosius which culminated in the battle of Guoloph in 437. Since Bradford-on-Avon lies directly on the line of the Wansdyke, as it sits right in the middle of the so-called 'gap' between East and West Wansdyke. Here the river Avon is fordeble, making it very attractive to see here a fortification of Vortigern, guarding the riverline of this artificial border built by Ambrosius to control all approaches from the north. Where was Wirtgernesburh? The exact location of the fortification is not clear. Either its remains are buried under the modern town, possibly on or near the site where Roman coins were dug up in the nineteenth century. The best candidate is the former Iron Age promontory fort called Budbury, north of Tory. Parts of its earthen ramparts have been found, although the site is today totally built over. This site continued in use during the Roman period, and Roman finds as well as burials have turned up in the area. There were also Roman buildings on the hill to the north and west of the town. It is possible to see the inhabitants turning to the old fort during sub-Roman times. The latest interpretations show this area as British until the mid-7th century or after. Cenwalh's name is still partly British ('walh' meaning 'Welshman'), and the names of his predecessors are even more British (Cerdic-Ceredig, Cynric-Cunorix, Ceawlin-Coline). The area of the Gewissae, later known as the West Saxons, may have been far more British than assumed, and the area of Bradford was without doubt in british hands. Vortigern may well have had a stronhold here, controlling the southern bend of the Avon. A less obvious but still possible other candidate for this possible stronghold of Vortigern may be the unnamed small earthwork in Great Bradford Wood. However, as the 1891 map shows, the site was by then either hidden in Great Bradford Wood (private land, and therefore maybe missed by the surveyors), or it is really to be found elsewhere.
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folk-tale old enough to become attached to
Bradford (‘Broad Ford’) before the Saxons came
there in the second half of the 7th century.
Otherwise, we might consider a duplication of Vortigern
and his tales, is more likely that a genuine memory of
his involvement in the area lingered on. The name is
related to us by William of Malmesbury: