It was a royal hunting lodge in the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods and hosted the Witenagemot in the 10th century.

The site of the palace is now marked by concrete slabs within the grounds of The Kings of Wessex Academy.

[5] During the Saxon period, it was used on three occasions in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot, an assembly of powerful figures, in 941, 956 and 968,[7] probably for Æthelstan and Edgar the Peaceful.

[2] In January 2006, during the building of a new languages block at the school, a grave, believed to be Roman, was uncovered.

[6][13] Various Roman artifacts, including wall plaster and tesserae, dating from the 1st to the 4th centuries have also been found.