Train named after important Malmesbury figure

Train named after important Malmesbury figure

A TRAIN has been named after the first king of England whose ascension to the throne has been celebrated in Malmesbury.

England’s forgotten first king: Æthelstan deserves recognition

Eleven centuries after his coronation, King Æthelstan is finally beginning to receive the recognition many historians believe he has long deserved. A new biography, published on the 1,100th anniversary of his rise to the throne in 925 CE, sets out to restore his place in history as the first true king of England and to […]

Tom Holland unveils South Western Railway train honouring King Athelstan

South Western Railway (SWR) has joined forces with The Rest is History podcast’s Tom Holland to name a train after Athelstan, the first King of England.

Tom Holland unveils South Western Railway train dedicated to 'great' king

Historian Tom Holland unveiled South Western Railway’s King Athelstan train at Kingston station to mark 1,100 years since England’s first king…

All aboard for Athelstan: SWR names a train after England’s first King

Earlier today, the UK gained a new royal train when a SWR train was formally named the King Athelstan by historian Tom Holland. The event was to mark the 1100th anniversary of Athelstan’s (also Æthelstan) coronation in Kingston on 4th September 925 and the subsequent merger of the two kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia. Although crowned as king of the Angles and the West Saxons, he later conquered York and Northumbria, making him arguably also the fi…

Today marks 1,100 years since England’s first King, Athelstan, was crowned in Kingston.

To commemorate the event in 925AD, a new train will be unveiled at the town’s station at midday. Tom Holland, who is the co-host of The Rest is History podcast, will unveil the new train, flanked by Saxon warriors, and its royal name. The event is not open to the public.