At least my handsome Saxon monk isn't some beetle-browed caveman, but I had thought he'd be blonde as most Germanics are.

Also, does Seaxmund's Ham still exist?

More on the south east coast then.

The link is entirely legendary. At school we were taught that Bury Bank, an ancient hillfort north of the town, was the site of Wulfherechester one of the residences of Wulfhere the pagan King of Mercia and that around 665 his two sons Wulfad and Rufin converted to Christianity after they met St Chad whilst out hunting. Wulfhere was so incensed that he chased them down and killed them. In his remorse he buried them under a huge cairn of stones around which a town grew - Stone.

For years I believed this until I looked into it and found out it was all fantasy. Wulfhere never lived at Bury Bank, he never had sons named Wulfad and Rufin and no cairn ever existed. It was a tale made up in the 12th century to draw pilgrims to Stone Priory which was founded by the Augustinians in the 1140s. The only factual aspects are that Wulfhere and St Chad were real.

Oddly my local church, St Michael's since 1758, was rededicated to St Michael and St Wulfad a few years ago even though St Wulfad is entirely fictitious. Perhaps the vicar at the time was still trying to attract pilgrims/tourists as his predecessors were 850 years ago.  

Have you ever gone up to Scotland Mark or Art to visit any of their older historic sites there? I wouldn't mind visiting the ruins of St.Andrew Cathedral in St. Andrew.

It was built in 1158 and by the size of it someone had a lot of money.

This is my Aunt and two Great Aunts visiting it in 1953.

I went to St Andrews over 20 years ago. There's a tunnel you can crawl along that was hacked out in the 1540s, when the castle was under siege, by the attackers trying to undermine the walls. 20 years ago I was just about able to crawl along it to a cavern at the end. Today I've put on a little weight and I'm not as bendy as I was in my 30s so I wouldn't try it now. Once in I had to go to the end because there's no room to turn around until you reach the cavern, luckily I'm not claustrophobic.

I read where they say a lot of the stone from there was used later to build other structures in the surrounding area. It was the largest church in ever built in Sotland and must have been something to see when first built. Quite an old grave yard and that alone would be something to explore. I'm the same Mark. Would not of thought twice about doing a bit of crawling in runes or caves when I was younger, but that feeling has long passed now.

The tunnels under St Andrews Castle. Not high enough to stand up in especially if you're over six feet tall. 

There is no mention of Wulfhere's daughter in the book I'm reading, but I can see where a legend could have been carved.  Apparently, some of the kings at that time had serious disagreements over their children converting to what was then referred to as the "new faith".  There are very interesting references to, for example, weddings and funerals mixing pagan and Christian rites.

With these ties to Saxon kings, Mark, I am beginning to suspect you of being my "handsome Saxon monk."

With these ties to Saxon kings, Mark, I am beginning to suspect you of being my "handsome Saxon monk."

Careful Mark. Next she will have you shaving your head like Friar Tuck.

PS, if you do, send pictures.

I live like a monk, but my appearance is more Viking, blond hair (with a touch of grey now), blue eyes, pale skin unaccustomed to the sun.

I live like a monk, but my appearance is more Viking, blond hair (with a touch of grey now), blue eyes, pale skin unaccustomed to the sun. So you do have Scot blood in you then.

No, the Jocks have red hair, with swivelling eyes and transparent skin. (Tom will verify this) Mark sounds more like an albino to me.   You may have a point there Major.

Just inside the English border at Burgh-by-Sands there's a monument in the middle of a field; it marks the spot where Edward I died in his tent in 1307 on his way to invade Scotland yet again.

There's a similar field on the Scottish island of Kerrera where Alexander II died in his tent in 1249, but there's no monument.

The Edward I monument.

What works one day doesn't the next. With the St Andrews photo there was a insert image button like there used to be on the old site, but the next day it had disappeared! For the Edward I photo I was able to cut and paste from My Pictures as Pete suggested, but only yesterday did it work. I'm not on my own PC at the moment, I'll know better when I log on at home tonight.

There's a Multi Image button on the bottom row one you've clicked on Reply. It works for me.