On the northern side of the Wooler to Kirknewton road, where it crests a small knoll rising amidst bare Northumbrian fields, stands a monument marking the site of one of the most evocative archaeological stories in the UK. A tale which involves one of the most remarkable discoveries of the 20th century.
Around 1300 years ago great timber halls stood here, marking the site of the royal residence of early Anglo-Saxon kings. In AD731 the scholar Bede records that while king Edwin and his queen were residing here, the queen’s bishop, Paulinus, baptised many in the nearby river Glen.
In 2002 Ad Gefrin, the physical site and the ongoing story, passed into the hands of The Gefrin Trust. Our aim is to preserve, investigate and recount the history and impact of this important site in the north Cheviot hills, from prehistory right up to the latest investigations and finds.
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