Burhs

The term burh was used by the Saxons to refer to a fortified centre. They became widespread under Alfred the Great of Wessex who produced a network of burhs to defend against Viking incursions (the aim being that no land should be more than 32 km from a burh).

Large burhs (such as Winchester and Bath) were planned as permanent settlements with trade centres.

Smaller burhs (e.g. South Cadbury) were intended as temporary or purely military forts.

As with all centralised systems burhs had to be funded, and so the taxation system known as burghal hidage was introduced. This system assumed that 4 men were required to defend each pole (approximately 5m) of wall, and that each hide of land would support 1 man.