A Viking invasion took King Alfred by surprise. When much of Wessex was overrun Alfred was driven into hiding at Athelney, in the marshlands of central Somerset. He built a fortress there, reinforcing the existing defences of an earlier Iron Age fort. It was at Athelney that Alfred planned his campaign against the Vikings. The story is that, in disguise, Alfred begged refuge from a peasant household, where he was asked to carry out tasks, including watching the food cooking on the fire. Preoccupied, and unaccustomed to cooking duties, he let the cakes burn and ruined the household's meal. The woman of the house scolded him severely.