Alfred's Castle farmhouse was built within the abandoned prehistoric enclosure. King Alfred won a great victory against the Danes at the Battle of Ashdown, in AD 871. Being located just to the west of Ashdown House, Victorian antiquaries associated Alfred's Castle with the King's troop movements before the battle. The exact site of Alfred's battle has not yet been determined, however, so is a matter for debate. The most likely sites are near Compton and Aldworth in Berkshire. Excavations were carried out at Alfred's Castle from 1998-2000 by archaeologists from Oxford University, and post-excavation analysis is still ongoing (as of August 2011).
George Ashdown 1906, Ashdown was selected as the Conservative Party's candidate for the resulting by-election. As the opposition Liberal Party did not nominate a candidate by the close of nominations on May 18, Ashdown was acclaimed to office on that date. Ashdown ran again in the 1907 election, but was defeated by Benjamin McConnell of the Liberals. Following his defeat, he retired from the Morden store in 1911, returning to Winnipeg and working in real estate and as manager of his brother's store. He died in Winnipeg on May 14, 1939. George Ashdown George Ashdown (April 8, 1851 - May 14, 1939)