Wulfbertie's World

Wulfbertie lives in the historic city of Glewcaster in the dark middle ages. Glewcaster is in a kingdom called Mercia which was a junior kingdom to King Alfred's Saxon Kingdom of Wessex.   It is mostly occupied by Celts and Saxons and some remaining Roman-types. There are also some Welsh merchants and farmers. 

Glewcaster

Glewcaster was an ancient place in Wulfbertie's time.  It had been invented by some long dead people called Romans who were led by their legendary leader Pope Julius Cheeser. 

When the Romans left, Glewcaster fell apart as things do when you don't look after them. After a while only bits of stone carved by Romans, broken statues and old buildings were still left.  

The citizens of Glewcaster used what the Romans had left behind to build their homes. Amongst other things they built a market place where the Fllewelyn family sold eggs and vegetables from their farm and a convent for the nuns.  The nuns made a lot of jam from the local blackberries, but eventually they left the convent to go elsewhere. Instead, a group of Monks moved in and called the convent a Monastery.  

The city is defended by the city guard who patrol its crumbling Roman walls and the bridges over the River Sseverne. On the other side of the Sseverne is the Wulf Homestead where Wulfbertie's family lives.

The Wulf Homestead

The Wulf Homestead is where the Wulf Family lives.  It is on the Dene-side of the Sseverne on the edge of the Dean Forest.  The Dean Forest covers the border between the Saxon kingdom of Mercia and Welsh principalities of Wales. 

The Wulf family was given the land on Dene-side by their ancestor the old king.  Unfortunately the deeds proving that the land belongs to them have been lost and Lord Bandy has claimed the land and the saw-mill built on it. 

The family still lives on its small farm in a new house built by Wulfbertie's father Wulfbeard. The old house fell down and all that is left is the old Hearthstone and a ring of standing stones.

Around the City

There are lots of important places around the city. 

Glewcaster is completely surrounded by a ring of hills.  Amongst those hills are great estates belonging to important and powerful people. The best estate belongs to Lord Torlo Bandy, cousin of King Baldrat. It is at Cranham.  The neighbouring estate belongs to Prinnda, sister of Abbot Pacificus (Abba) who runs the Abbey.  It is called Prinnedge. 

Wulfbertie's great uncle Eddlinbert owns an estate at May's Moor (May's Mere in the rainy season) which he has given the Abbey during his lifetime in return for accomodation in the Monastery.     

Lots of people live on both estates, working the land for the owners. Some years ago these people were serfs which means they had to work for the owner of the estate.  Now they have been freed and work for fair pay.

Next to the city the winding river Sseverne creates an island, called Alney Island.

Amongst the hills are a series of springs.  These provide fresh water for the farmers and the city.  Many of the spings have had wells built in them to get the water out more easily.  Some of these wells are holy sites where saints and martyrs are remembered.

Further Away

Two long Roman roads cross at The Cross in Glewcaster. One runs East-West.  The other runs North-South.

To the East (that's the Right-hand-side) the road leads away towards Wincaster and eventually London.

To the South (Down) the road runs towards the port of Brig-stow (Bristol) and the Shrine of St Arilda at Oldbury on Sseverne.

To the West (Left) the road runs over a series of bridges past Alney Island over the Sseverne to Wales.

To the North (Top) the road passes the ancient ruins of a Roman fort at King's holm and on northwards along the Welsh border eventually to Chester.

Many of the things Wulfbertie saw in the dark ages are now in the Gloucester museum.

Wulfbertie supports Gloucester (Glewcaster) Cathedral

All drawings by Paul Evans.   Extraordinary!

The Brothers, Uncles, Beogren and other adults like to read clever stories at Tilebury