Prologue: NORTHUMBRIA, 866–867 AD
The spelling of place-names in Anglo-Saxon England was an uncertain business, with no consistency and no agreement even about the name itself. Thus London was variously rendered as Lundonia, Lundenberg, Lundenne, Lundene, Lundenwic, Lundenceaster and Lundres. Doubtless some readers will prefer other versions of the names listed below, but I have usually employed whatever spelling is cited in the Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names for the years nearest or contained within Alfred’s reign, 871–899 AD, but even that solution is not foolproof. Hayling Island, in 956, was written as both Heilincigae and Hæglingaiggæ. Nor have I been consistent myself; I have preferred the modern England to Englaland and, instead of Norðhymbralond, have used Northumbria to avoid the suggestion that the boundaries of the ancient kingdom coincide with those of the modern county. So this list, like the spellings themselves, is capricious:
| Æbbanduna | Abingdon, Berkshire |
| Æsc’s Hill | Ashdown, Berkshire |
| Baðum (pronounced Bathum) | Bath, Avon |
| Basengas | Basing, Hampshire |
| Beamfleot | Benfleet, Essex |
| Beardastopol | Barnstable, Devon |
| Bebbanburg | Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland |
| Berewic | Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland |
| Berrocscire | Berkshire |
| Blaland | North Africa |
| Cantucton | Cannington, Somerset |
| Cetreht | Catterick, Yorkshire |
| Cippanhamm | Chippenham, Wiltshire |
| Cirrenceastre | Cirencester, Gloucestershire |
| Contwaraburg | Canterbury, Kent |
| Cornwalum | Cornwall |
| Cridianton | Crediton, Devon |
| Cynuit | Cynuit Hillfort, nr. Cannington, Somerset |
| Dalriada | Western Scotland |
| Defnascir | Devonshire |
| Deoraby | Derby, Derbyshire |
| Dic | Diss, Norfolk |
| Dunholm | Durham, County Durham |
| Eoferwic | York (also the Danish Jorvic, pronounced Yorvik) |
| Exanceaster | Exeter, Devon |
| Fromtun | Frampton on Severn, Gloucestershire |
| Gegnesburh | Gainsborough, Lincolnshire |
| the Gewæsc | The Wash |
| Gleawecestre | Gloucester, Gloucestershire |
| Grantaceaster | Cambridge, Cambridgeshire |
| Gyruum | Jarrow, County Durham |
| Haithabu | Hedeby, trading town in Southern Denmark |
| Hamanfunta | Havant, Hampshire |
| Hamptonscir | Hampshire |
| Hamtun | Southampton, Hampshire |
| Heilincigae | Hayling Island, Hampshire |
| Hreapandune | Repton, Derbyshire |
| Kenet | River Kennet |
| Ledecestre | Leicester, Leicestershire |
| Lindisfarena | Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Northumberland |
| Lundene | London |
| Mereton | Marten, Wiltshire |
| Meslach | Matlock, Derbyshire |
| Pedredan | River Parrett |
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Pictland
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