Alfred fortified Oxford as part of his Thames valley defence line. Oxford occupied the strategic confluence of the Thames and Cherwell and guarded the approach to the Danelaw frontier. Alfred later ceded Oxford to Aethelred of Mercia as part of his policy of Mercian cooperation, reflecting the town position on the border between Wessex and Mercia. Oxford became a key base for subsequent Mercian campaigns into the Danelaw.
West Saxon and Mercian builders
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