In a message dated 12/05/2004 15:24:47 GMT Standard Time, roy.cox@btinternet.com writes: Good Afternoon - I don't think that either of these options were Alfred's palace as his Royal Palace was always at Winchester, around which was a network of burhs with strongpoints on the main river routes, so that no part of Wessex was more than 20 miles from the refuge of one of these settlements. This URL will explain more: http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page25.asp Kind Regards June & Roy (SANHS Member No 1066) _http://www.btinternet.com/~roy.cox/index.htm_ (http://www.btinternet.com/~roy.cox/index.htm) Hi Thanks for that I have taken a look at the site you suggest and it was very informative. It was this site that got me wondering. _http://www.villagenet.co.uk/sevensisters/villages/westdean.php_ (http://www.villagenet.co.uk/sevensisters/villages/westdean.php) The site calls the place West Dean but the village in the Cuckmore Valley is Westdean according to my map with West Dean being near Chichester. Hence my confusion. It had something to do with where he stayed when visiting the fleet apparently. All the best Kind regards Leigh