We’re delighted to share that The Bearded Bleepers have been featured on That’s TV to talk about our ongoing search for the lost location of the Battle of Aclea – one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in Surrey’s history.
The interview follows our recent appearance on the BBC Sounds series Secret Surrey, which has sparked a huge amount of interest and discussion about where this famous Anglo-Saxon battle may have taken place.
You can listen to the BBC Sounds episode here: Secret Surrey – The Lost Battle of Surrey on BBC Sounds.
A Battle Lost to History
The Battle of Aclea was fought in AD 851 between the West Saxons, led by King Æthelwulf and his son Æthelbald, and a large Viking army that had crossed into Surrey.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records it as one of the most significant victories against the Vikings before the reign of Alfred the Great, yet remarkably, the exact location of the battlefield remains unknown.
For many years, the area around Leith Hill and Ockley has been considered one of the leading candidates for the battle. This theory is based on the surrounding landscape, nearby ancient routeways such as Stane Street, and long-standing local traditions that have been passed down through generations.
Continuing the Search
Over the past year we’ve been fortunate enough to search a number of permissions around Leith Hill and Ockley as part of our investigation.
Although we haven’t yet uncovered any archaeological evidence that conclusively identifies the battlefield, that’s very much the nature of this kind of research. A ninth-century battlefield may have extended across a much wider landscape than many people imagine, and after more than 1,100 years any surviving evidence could be extremely sparse.
Every field we search helps build a better understanding of the landscape and brings us one step closer to solving the mystery.
New Leads and Local Knowledge
One of the most rewarding outcomes of the BBC Sounds programme and our appearance on That’s TV has been the incredible response from local people.
We’ve received fascinating messages about long-standing oral traditions surrounding the battle, including stories placing it on the slopes above Ockley near Anstiebury Camp and Stane Street.
Others have suggested entirely different locations, including an intriguing theory around Merstham, which has also been proposed by some historians.
At this stage, no theory has been conclusively proven, but every conversation, every local memory and every new lead helps add another piece to the puzzle.
Watch the That’s TV Interview
You can watch our interview with That’s TV on their Facebook page here:
Watch The Bearded Bleepers discussing the Battle of Aclea on That’s TV
Listen to the BBC Sounds Episode
You can also hear more about the mystery and our search for the battlefield in the Secret Surrey episode The Lost Battle of Surrey on BBC Sounds:
Listen to The Lost Battle of Surrey on BBC Sounds
We’re incredibly grateful to both BBC Sounds and That’s TV for helping shine a light on this fascinating chapter of Surrey’s history.
It’s wonderful to see so many people taking an interest in the search, and we’re excited to continue exploring new permissions and investigating fresh leads over the coming months.
Who knows, perhaps together we can finally help uncover the true location of one of England’s greatest lost battlefields.
0 Comments