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When the King was not in residence many of the buildings were not used, but were set aside until he and his
entourage returned. During such periods Yeavering was not abandoned completely but was maintained by a group of
people under the command of a Reeve or praefectus, a representative of the king whose primary task was the upkeep
of the royal palace and its enclosures.
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Yeavering Saxon Royal Palace: Who Lived at Yeavering?
The Anglo-Saxon kings of Northumbria visited the royal palace at Yeavering perhaps two or three times a year for
seasonal hunting, religious festivals or to carry out a regular court or meeting of the
King's advisors. When the royal party was in residence it would have been a vibrant place with members of the
court, advisors and other people who aided the King in governing Northumbria.
Perhaps the most famous king to have lived here was Edwin. Ruler of Northumbria from 616, Edwin
presided over the Palace and the Kingdom until his death in 633. Edwin, like all of his predecessors, practiced a
pagan (non-Christian) religion, the details of which have largely been lost. After his accession, he married
Ethelburga, a Christian princess from Kent. When Ethelburga visited Yeavering she brought
with her Paulinus, a priest of the Roman Church. Paulinus began to convert the local population and is said to have
encouraged the use of the pagan temple on the site for Christian worship. Edwin himself resisted conversion until
627 - eleven years after his accession.
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