The Timeline of conflict in Anglo-Saxon Britain is concerned with the period of history from just before the departure of the Roman Army, in the 4th century, to just after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. The information is mainly derived from annals and the Venerable Bede. The dates, particularly from the fourth to the late sixth centuries, have very few contemporary sources and are largely later constructions by medieval chroniclers.Gransden. Historical Writing. Ch. 1. Gildas and Nennius The historian Diana Greenway described one such 12th-century chronicler, Henry of Huntingdon, as a 'weaver' compiler of history, and the archaeologist Martin Welch described the ''

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alf ...

'' as "a product of the West Saxon court... concerned with glorifying the royal ancestry of

Alfred the Great Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who b ...

. Manipulation of royal genealogies, in this and other sources, to enhance the claims of contemporary rulers was common. Literary formulas associated with original myths are a common feature of earlier entries."Huntingdon. ''Historia Anglorum.'' p. 97Welch. ''Anglo-Saxon England''. p. 9. Although the timeline uses the annals for this period of history, information provided by these sources can be problematic, particularly with the earlier dates.

Chronology

Constructing a chronology of the early Anglo-Saxon period, and how the

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons were a cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo-Saxons happened wit ...

took over land in Britain from Romano-Britons (Celtic-speakers, Latin-speakers, or both), is highly complex. The limitations of source material place constraints on just how accurate any chronology can be. As an example, the following table shows how much variation there is between historians on just one date, the

Battle of Badon The Battle of Badon /ˈbeɪdən/ also known as the Battle of Mons Badonicus ( la, obsessio isBadonici montis, "Blockade/Siege of the Badonic Hill"; ''Bellum in monte Badonis'', "Battle on Badon Hill"; ''Bellum Badonis'', "Battle of Badon"; Old W ...

: Much of the dating of the period comes from

Bede Bede ( ; ang, Bǣda , ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, The Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable ( la, Beda Venerabilis), was an English monk at the monastery of St Peter and its companion monastery of St Paul in the Kingdom o ...

(672/673–735), who in his '' Ecclesiastical History of the English People'', tried to compute dates for events in early Anglo-Saxon history.Gransden. Historical Writing. pp. 11–23 Although primarily writing about church history, Bede is seen as Britain's first true historian, in that he cited his references and listed events according to dates rather than regnal lists. So we know that he relied heavily on '' De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae'' by Gildas, a sixth-century cleric, for his early dates and historians have found Gildas unreliable where dates were concerned.Bede. Ecclesiastical History. Farmer Ed. p. 24. Bede's work was widely read among the literate in the

Anglo-Saxon kingdoms The Heptarchy were the seven petty kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England that flourished from the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain in the 5th century until they were consolidated in the 8th century into the four kingdoms of Mercia, Northumbria, Wes ...

, and his dates were used by the monks who compiled the various

s from the late ninth century onwards.Alfred the Great. Asser.(2004) pp. 275–281. - Discussion of sources, authors, dates and accuracy Some sources say that the Saxon warriors were invited to come, to the area now known as England, to help keep out invaders from Scotland and Ireland. Another reason for coming may have been because their land often flooded and it was difficult to grow crops, so they were looking for new places to settle down and farm. The most controversial dates in the period—those from the fourth to the late sixth centuries—have very few contemporary sources, and are mainly derived from later attempts to construct Anglo-Saxon history. The following is an outline of some events recorded in Bede's ''Ecclesiastical History'', the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'', the ''Welsh Annals'' ('' Annales Cambriae''), and ''

Brut y Tywysogion ''Brut y Tywysogion'' ( en, Chronicle of the Princes) is one of the most important primary sources for Welsh history. It is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. ''Brut ...

''. Many of the dates from the fourth, fifth, and sixth century are points of contention. :AC = "from the '' Annales Cambriae''" (English translatio
at this link
. :ASC = "from the ''

''". :B = "from

's writings". :ByT = "from ''

''". :(?) = Dates and events that are contentious or subject to debate.

4th century

*360 AD and after, and perhaps before: various Germanic peoples (Alemanni, Saxons, etc.) came to Roman Britain: raiders, Roman armies recruited from among German tribes, some settlers (The Saxon Shore ( la, litus Saxonicum)).

5th century

*410 AD: Emperor Honorius refuses a call for help from Britain, tells the cities to look to their own defence. *429 AD: Germanus of Auxerre leads Romano-Britons to victory over Saxon raiders.Butler, Rev. Alban, "St. Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, Confessor", ''The Lives of the Saints'', Vol. VII, 1866
/ref> *c. 430 to 520: The range of dates for the

. See effects of the battle for the strategic situation resulting afterwards. *c. 446: The "

Groans of the Britons Paralanguage, also known as vocalics, is a component of meta-communication that may modify meaning, give nuanced meaning, or convey emotion, by using techniques such as prosody, pitch, volume, intonation, etc. It is sometimes defined as relati ...

" - A last appeal (possibly to the

Consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...

Aetius) for the Roman army to come back to Britain. *449: Vortigern invites Saxons to come and help them against the

Pict The Picts were a group of peoples who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland (north of the Firth of Forth) during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and what their culture was like can be inferred from ear ...

s, who were raiding the east coast, and allows them to settle on ''"The eastern side of the island."''Gildas. The Ruin of Britain 23. Gildas says that it is Saxons who come over to fight the Picts and settle, whereas Bede, ''HE.Book 1 Ch 15'' suggests that it is Angles ''or'' Saxons. (The name Vortigern may mean "Great King" rather than being a lifelong personal name.) *455: ASC 455. Her Hengest & Horsa fuhton wiþ Wyrtgeorne þam cyninge, in þære stowe þe is gecueden Agælesþrep, & his broþur Horsan man ofslog; & æfter þam Hengest feng to rice & Æsc his sunu. (

Battle of Aylesford The Battle of Aylesford or Epsford ( ang, Æȝelesford) was a battle between Britons and Anglo-Saxons recorded in the '' Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' and the ''Historia Brittonum''. Both sources concur that it involved the Anglo-Saxon leaders Hengis ...

: Here Hengest and Horsa fought against Vortigern the king, in the place that is called

Aylesford Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, England, northwest of Maidstone. Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. Two pubs, a village ...

, and his brother Horsa was slain; and after that Hengest took the throne with Æsc, his son.) *457: ASC 457.Her Hengest & Æsc fuhton wiþ Brettas in þære stowe þe is gecueden Crecganford & þær ofslogon .iiiim. wera, & þa Brettas þa forleton Centlond & mid micle ege flugon to Lundenbyrg. (Here Hengest & Æsc fought against

Briton British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs mod ...

s in the place which is called Crecganford and there slew 4,000 men, and the Britons abandoned Kent and with great fear fled to London.) *c. 460:

Treachery of the Long Knives The Treason of the Long Knives ( cy, Brad y Cyllyll Hirion) is an account of a massacre of British Celtic chieftains by Anglo-Saxon soldiers at a peace conference on Salisbury Plain in the 5th century. The story is thought to be pseudohistor ...

, Death of all British kings, Begin of violent land grab by Saxons. *466:

Battle of Wippedesfleot The Battle of Wippedesfleot was a battle in 466 between the Anglo-Saxons (or Jutes), led by Hengest, and the Britons. It is described in the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' thus: :465: :465: Here Hengest and Æsc fought together against Welsh (= ...

ASC 465. Her Hengest & Æsc gefuhton uuiþ Walas neah Wippedesfleote & þær .xii. wilisce aldormenn ofslogon, & hiera þegn an þær wearþ ofslægen, þam wæs noma Wipped. Here Hengest and Æsc fought together against the Welsh (meaning 'foreigner': the manner in which the invaders referred to the Britons) near Wippedesfleot and there slew 12 Welsh chief men, and one of their thanes was slain, whose name was Wipped. [This battle is said to have resulted in much bloodshed and slaughter on both sides, to the extent that hostilities abated for a while thereafter. It is not known where Wippedesfleot (= "Wipped's tidal estuary") was.]) *473: ASC 473. Her Hengest & Æsc gefuhton wiþ Walas & genamon unarimedlico herereaf, & þa Walas flugon þa Englan swa þær fyr. (Here Hengest & Æsc fought against Welsh and took countless war- loot, and the Welsh fled from the English like fire.) *477:(?) ASC 477. Her cuom Ælle on Bretenlond & his .iii. suna, Cymen & Wlencing & Cissa, mid .iii. scipum on þa stowe þe is nemned Cymenesora, & þær ofslogon monige Wealas & sume on fleame bedrifon on þone wudu þe is genemned Andredesleage. (Here Ælle came to Britain and ith himhis 3 sons Cymen & Wlencing & Cissa, with 3 ships to the place which is named Cymenesora The_Owers,_rocks_off_Selsey.html" ;"title="cymenshore#The_Owers.html" ;"title="robably now cymenshore#The Owers">The Owers, rocks off Selsey">cymenshore#The_Owers.html" ;"title="robably now cymenshore#The Owers">The Owers, rocks off Selsey in West Sussex], and there slew many Welsh & drove some in flight into the wood which is called Andredesleag [= The Weald ].)Welch.Anglo-Saxon England p.9.- ''When Aella and his three sons land from three ships on a beach named after one of the sons, we are reading legend rather than history.'' *485:

Battle of Mercredesburne The Battle of Mercredesburne was one of three battles fought as part of the conquest of what became the Kingdom of Sussex in southern England. The battles were fought between the Saxon leader Ælle's army and the local Britons. The ''Anglo-Sax ...

ASC 485. Her Ælle gefeaht wiþ Walas neah Mearcrædesburnan stæðe. (Here Ælle fought against Welsh near the margin of Mearcrædesburna Mearcræd's stream) *491: ASC 491.Her Ælle & Cissa ymbsæton Andredescester & ofslogon alle þa þe þærinne eardedon; ne wearþ þær forþon an Bret to lafe. (Here Ælle and Cissa besieged Andredescester ow_Pevensey.html" ;"title="Pevensey.html" ;"title="ow Pevensey">ow Pevensey">Pevensey.html" ;"title="ow Pevensey">ow Pevenseyand slew all who dwelt therein; no Briton was left [alive] afterwards.) *c. 497: Defeat of the

in the

Battle of Mons Badonicus The Battle of Badon /ˈbeɪdən/ also known as the Battle of Mons Badonicus ( la, obsessio isBadonici montis, "Blockade/Siege of the Badonic Hill"; ''Bellum in monte Badonis'', "Battle on Badon Hill"; ''Bellum Badonis'', "Battle of Badon"; Old ...

Britons British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs mod ...

led by King Arthur.

6th century

*c. 500 AD: Average of suggested dates for the

. *c. 500 AD:

Angles The Angles ( ang, Ængle, ; la, Angli) were one of the main Germanic peoples who settled in Great Britain in the post-Roman period. They founded several kingdoms of the Heptarchy in Anglo-Saxon England. Their name is the root of the name ' ...

colonised the North Sea and Humber coastal areas, particularly around Holderness. *501: ASC 501.Her cuom Port on Bretene & his .ii. suna Bieda & Mægla mid .ii. scipum on þære stowe þe is gecueden Portesmuþa & ofslogon anne giongne Brettiscmonnan, swiþe æþelne monnan. (Here Port and his 2 sons Bieda and Mægla came to Britain with 2 ships to the place which is called Portsmouth and slew a young British man, a very noble man. '' ut this may be an old fiction, as a folk-etymology to explain the placename Ports-mouth.' ) *508: ASC 508.Her Cerdic & Cynric ofslogon ænne Brettisccyning, þam was nama Natanleod, & .v. þusendu wera mid him. Æfter was þæt lond nemned Natanleaga oþ Cerdicesford. (Here

Cerdic Cerdic (; la, Cerdicus) is described in the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' as a leader of the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, being the founder and first king of Saxon Wessex, reigning from 519 to 534 AD. Subsequent kings of Wessex were each cla ...

and Cynric slew a British king, whose name was

Natanleod Natanleod, according to the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'', was a king of the Britons. His inclusion in the ''Chronicle'' is believed to be the product of folk etymology. Under the year 508, a date which is not to be relied upon,Campbell, ''Anglo-Sax ...

, and 5000 men with him. Afterwards that land was named Natanleag as far as Cerdicesford _North_Charford_and_South_Charford.html" ;"title="North_Charford.html" ;"title=" North Charford"> North Charford and South Charford">North_Charford.html" ;"title=" North Charford"> North Charford and South Charford ].) *c. 520: Saxons took control of Sussex, Kent, East Anglia and part of Yorkshire, West Saxons founded a Kingdom in Hampshire under

. *535 & 536: The

extreme weather events of 535–536 The volcanic winter of 536 was the most severe and protracted episode of climatic cooling in the Northern Hemisphere in the last 2,000 years. The volcanic winter was caused by an eruption, with several possible locations proposed in various contin ...

likely caused a great famine and thus population loss. *In or before 547:

Bernicia Bernicia ( ang, Bernice, Bryneich, Beornice; la, Bernicia) was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England. The Anglian territory of Bernicia was appr ...

established by Angles taking over part of a British area called

Bryneich Bernicia ( ang, Bernice, Bryneich, Beornice; la, Bernicia) was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England. The Anglian territory of Bernicia was appr ...

. *Around 549: A great plague caused much population loss. *556

Battle of Beran Byrig At the Battle of Beran Byrig or Beranburh the West Saxons are said to have defeated the Britons at Barbury Castle Hill Fort near Swindon in the year 556. The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' entry for the year states: (This year Cynric and Ceawli ...

. The West Saxons are said to have defeated the Britons at Barbury Castle Hill Fort near Swindon. *About 560: Saxons conquered all of east Yorkshire and the British kingdom of

Ebrauc The history of York, England, as a city dates to the beginning of the first millennium AD but archaeological evidence for the presence of people in the region of York dates back much further to between 8000 and 7000 BC. As York was a town i ...

, and there established

Deira Deira ( ; Old Welsh/Cumbric: ''Deywr'' or ''Deifr''; ang, Derenrice or ) was an area of Post-Roman Britain, and a later Anglian kingdom. Etymology The name of the kingdom is of Brythonic origin, and is derived from the Proto-Celtic *''daru ...

. *571: ASC 571.Her Cuþwulf feaht wiþ Bretwalas æt Bedcan forda. & .iiii. tunas genom, Lygeanburg. & Ægelesburg. Benningtun. & Egonesham. & þy ilcan geare he gefor. ( Battle of Bedcanford: Here Cuthwulf fought against

s at Bedcanford and took 4 settlements:

Limbury Limbury is a suburb of Luton, in the Luton district, in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England, and was formerly a village before Luton expanded around it. The area is roughly bounded by Bramingham Road to the north, Marsh Road to the so ...

Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, South East England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery, David Tugwell`s house on Watermead and the Waterside Theatre. It is in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wyco ...

, Benson &

Eynsham Eynsham is an English village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about north-west of Oxford and east of Witney. The 2011 Census recorded a parish population of 4,648. It was estimated at 5,087 in 2020. History Eynsham grew up near the histori ...

. And in the same year he died.) *573:

Battle of Arfderydd The Battle of Arfderydd (also known as Arderydd) was fought, according to the Annales Cambriae, in 573. The opposing armies are variously given in a number of Old Welsh sources, perhaps suggesting a number of allied armies were involved. The main ...

Arthuret Arthuret is a civil parish in the Carlisle district of Cumbria, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,434, increasing to 2,471 at the 2011 Census. The parish includes the town of Longtown and the village of Easton. It is ...

in Cumbria: Briton fought Briton and weakened their numbers. *577:

Battle of Dyrham The Battle of Deorham (or Dyrham) is claimed as a decisive military encounter between the West Saxons and the Britons of the West Country in 577. The battle, which was a major victory for Wessex's forces led by Ceawlin and his son, Cuthwine, r ...

: Capture of

Glevum Glevum (or, more formally, Colonia Nervia Glevensium, or occasionally ''Glouvia'') was originally a Roman fort in Roman Britain that became a " colonia" of retired legionaries in AD 97. Today, it is known as Gloucester, in the English county ...

Corinium Corinium Dobunnorum was the Romano-British settlement at Cirencester in the present-day English county of Gloucestershire. Its 2nd-century walls enclosed the second-largest area of a city in Roman Britain. It was the tribal capital of the Dobun ...

Aquae Sulis Aquae Sulis (Latin for ''Waters of Sulis'') was a small town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is the English city of Bath, Somerset. The Antonine Itinerary register of Roman roads lists the town as ''Aquis Sulis.'' Ptolemy records ...

by Saxons of Wessex led by

Cealin Ceawlin (also spelled Ceaulin and Caelin, died ''ca.'' 593) was a King of Wessex. He may have been the son of Cynric of Wessex and the grandson of Cerdic of Wessex, whom the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' represents as the leader of the first group ...

.ASC 577.Her Cuþwine & Ceawlin fuhton wiþ Brettas, & hie .iii. kyningas ofslogon, Coinmail, & Condidan, & Farinmail, in þære stowe þe is gecueden Deorham. & genamon .iii. ceastro Gleawanceaster, & Cirenceaster, & Baþanceaster. (Here

Cuthwine Cuthwine, born c. 565, was a member of the House of Wessex, the son of King Ceawlin of Wessex. Cuthwine's father Ceawlin was deposed from the throne of Wessex in 592 by his nephew Ceol. Therefore, Cuthwine never inherited the throne. Cuthwin ...

and

Ceawlin Ceawlin (also spelled Ceaulin and Caelin, died ''ca.'' 593) was a King of Wessex. He may have been the son of Cynric of Wessex and the grandson of Cerdic of Wessex, whom the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' represents as the leader of the first group ...

fought against Britons and they slew 3 kings: Coinmail & Condidan & Farinmail, in the place which is called Dyrham, and took 3 towns: Gloucester &

Cirencester Cirencester (, ; see below for more variations) is a market town in Gloucestershire, England, west of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswolds. It is the home of ...

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

. ): These entries seem to show that the Britons' defences in the

English Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Mercia, Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in ...

collapsed, and the peace that followed the

ended, and the Saxons obliterated the British Watling Street salient and united their areas and overran the London - Verulamium area and much of the plain of the Midlands. Loss of Bath would separate the Britons of Wales from the Britons of the southwest. After this, the border between Saxons and the southwest Britons was probably at the Wansdyke along the ridge of the

Mendip Hills The Mendip Hills (commonly called the Mendips) is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running from Weston-super-Mare and the Bristol Channel in the west to the Frome valley in the east, the hills o ...

. *581:

Ælla of Deira Ælla or Ælle is the first known king of the Anglian kingdom of Deira, which he ruled from around 560 until his death in 588. Biography The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' records that Ælla became king in 560.Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, s.a. 560 Anachr ...

took land from the Britons, thus establishing or enlarging

. *c. 584: The Kingdom of the Iclingas became

Mercia la, Merciorum regnum , conventional_long_name=Kingdom of Mercia , common_name=Mercia , status=Kingdom , status_text=Independent kingdom (527–879)Client state of Wessex () , life_span=527–918 , era=Heptarchy , event_start= , date_start= , ye ...

. *584: ASC 584.Her Ceawlin & Cuþa fuhton wiþ Brettas, in þam stede þe mon nemneþ Feþanleag. & Cuþan mon ofslog. & Ceaulin monige tunas genom, & unarimedlice herereaf, & ierre he hwearf þonan to his agnum. (Battle of Fethanleag: Here Ceawlin and Cutha fought against Britons in the place that is named Fethanleag and Cutha was slain, and Ceawlin took many settlements and countless war- loot, and in anger he returned to his own land.) *590: Elmet joined an alliance of British kingdoms against the expanding

. See

Elmet Elmet ( cy, Elfed), sometimes Elmed or Elmete, was an independent Brittonic kingdom between about the 5th century and early 7th century, in what later became the smaller area of the West Riding of Yorkshire then West Yorkshire, South Yorks ...

and History of Yorkshire#Sub-Roman. *592: West Saxons were defeated in the Battle of Woden's Burg (

Wōden Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, ...

's Burg). *596:

defeated an alliance of

, Scots and Picts in the

Battle of Raith The Battle of Raith was the theory of E. W. B. Nicholson, librarian at the Bodleian Library, Oxford. He was aware of the poem Y Gododdin in the Book of Aneirin and was aware that no-one had identified the location "Catraeth". He parsed the nam ...

. *Afterwards: The British king,

Urien of Rheged Urien (; ), often referred to as Urien Rheged or Uriens, was a late 6th-century king of Rheged, an early British kingdom of the Hen Ogledd (today's northern England and southern Scotland) of the House of Rheged. His power and his victories, i ...

was murdered. A feud broke out between two of this alliance's key members. *597: St.

Augustine of Canterbury Augustine of Canterbury (early 6th century – probably 26 May 604) was a monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597. He is considered the "Apostle to the English" and a founder of the English Church.Delaney '' ...

, a monk sent by Pope Gregory I, arrived in the

Kingdom of Kent la, Regnum Cantuariorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the Kentish , common_name = Kent , era = Heptarchy , status = vassal , status_text = , government_type = Monarchy ...

on a mission to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity, under the patronage of King Æthelberht of Kent, reputedly a descendant of Hengest.

7th century

*c. 600:

Battle of Catraeth The Battle of Catraeth was fought around AD 600 between a force raised by the Gododdin, a Brythonic people of the ''Hen Ogledd'' or "Old North" of Britain, and the Angles of Bernicia and Deira. It was evidently an assault by the Gododdin party ...

( Catterick): also see

Y Gododdin ''Y Gododdin'' () is a medieval Welsh poem consisting of a series of elegies to the men of the Brittonic kingdom of Gododdin and its allies who, according to the conventional interpretation, died fighting the Angles of Deira and Bernicia at ...

: An army from the Celtic kingdom of

Gododdin The Gododdin () were a Brittonic people of north-eastern Britannia, the area known as the Hen Ogledd or Old North (modern south-east Scotland and north-east England), in the sub-Roman period. Descendants of the Votadini, they are best known a ...

fell in battle against the

and

at Catterick in Yorkshire. *c. 604: Deira and Bernicia united as Northumbria. *Afterwards:

built earthworks in near

Aberford Aberford is a village and civil parish on the eastern outskirts of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 1,059 at the 2001 census, increasing to 1,180 at the 2011 Census. It is situated ea ...

, north and west of

Barwick-in-Elmet Barwick-in-Elmet (pronounced ''Barrick-in-Elmet'') is a village in West Yorkshire, east of Leeds city centre. It is one of only three places in the area to be explicitly associated with the ancient Romano-British kingdom of Elmet, the others ...

where Elmet's king's seat was. *614: ASC 614.Her Cynegils & Cuichelm gefuhton on Beandune, & ofslogon .ii. þusendo Wala & .lxvi. (Here

Cynegils Cynegils () was King of Wessex from c. 611 to c. 642. Cynegils is traditionally considered to have been King of Wessex, but the familiar kingdoms of the so-called Heptarchy had not yet formed from the patchwork of smaller kingdoms in his life ...

and Cwichelm fought together at Beandun, and slew 2,066 Welsh.) *616: Autumn - Northumbria invaded and conquered Elmet. *616: Likeliest date for the

Battle of Chester The Battle of Chester (Old Welsh: ''Guaith Caer Legion''; Welsh: ''Brwydr Caer'') was a major victory for the Anglo-Saxons over the native Britons near the city of Chester, England in the early 7th century. Æthelfrith of Northumbria annihila ...

, between a Northumbrian army and a Welsh army: heavy Welsh casualties, and their defeat severed the land connection between Wales and the Celts of northwest Britain. *633, 12 October: Battle of Hatfield (AC: 630, Meigen) near Doncaster in Yorkshire:

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and ...

and

attacked and defeated Northumbria;

and

temporarily returned to Celtic rule. *633 or 634:

Battle of Heavenfield The Battle of Heavenfield was fought in 633 or 634 between a Northumbrian army under Oswald of Bernicia and a Welsh army under Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd. The battle resulted in a decisive Northumbrian victory. The ''Annales Cambriae'' (An ...

(AC: 631, Cantscaul) about 6 miles NW of

Hexham Hexham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the south bank of the River Tyne, formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne at Warden nearby, and close to Hadrian's Wall. Hexham was the administra ...

: Northumbria expels the Gwynedd army. *642: ASC 642.Her Oswald Norþanhymbra cyning ofslægen wæs. (Here

Oswald Oswald may refer to: People *Oswald (given name), including a list of people with the name * Oswald (surname), including a list of people with the name Fictional characters *Oswald the Reeve, who tells a tale in Geoffrey Chaucer's ''The Canterbu ...

king of Northumbria was slain) ''This may be the same battle as'':- *644: The

Battle of Maserfield The Battle of Maserfield () was fought on 5 August 641 or 642 (642 according to Ward) between the Anglo-Saxon kings Oswald of Northumbria and Penda of Mercia, ending in Oswald's defeat, death, and dismemberment. The location was also known as ...

(alias Battle of Maes Cogwy), in which Oswald king of the Northmen and Eawa king of the Celtic Mercians fell. AC B *652:

Cenwalh of Wessex Cenwalh, also Cenwealh or Coenwalh, was King of Wessex from c. 642 to c. 645 and from c. 648 until his death, according to the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'', in c. 672. Penda and Anna Bede states that Cenwalh was the son of the King Cynegils baptis ...

won a battle at

Bradford-on-Avon Bradford-on-Avon (sometimes Bradford on Avon or Bradford upon Avon) is a town and civil parish in west Wiltshire, England, near the border with Somerset, which had a population of 9,402 at the 2011 census. The town's canal, historic buildings, s ...

. *655, 15 Nov:

Battle of the Winwaed The Battle of the Winwaed ( Welsh: ''Maes Gai''; lat-med, Strages Gai Campi) was fought on 15 November 655 between King Penda of Mercia and Oswiu of Bernicia, ending in the Mercians' defeat and Penda's death. According to Bede, the batt ...

in which King Oswiu of Bernicia defeated and killed King

Penda of Mercia Penda (died 15 November 655)Manuscript A of the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' gives the year as 655. Bede also gives the year as 655 and specifies a date, 15 November. R. L. Poole (''Studies in Chronology and History'', 1934) put forward the theor ...

. King Cadafael ap Cynfeddw of

was allied with Penda but stayed out of the battle. *658: ASC 658.Her Cenwalh gefeaht æt Peonnum wiþ Walas, & hie gefliemde oþ Pedridan; þis wæs gefohten siþþan he of East Englum com. He wæs þær .iii. gear on wrece, hæfde hine Penda adrifenne, & rices benumenne. forþon he his swostor anforlet. (Here

Cenwalh Cenwalh, also Cenwealh or Coenwalh, was King of Wessex from c. 642 to c. 645 and from c. 648 until his death, according to the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'', in c. 672. Penda and Anna Bede states that Cenwalh was the son of the King Cynegils baptis ...

fought against Welsh Britonsat

Penselwood Penselwood is a village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It is located north east of Wincanton, south east of Bruton, west of Mere, and north west of Gillingham. The south-east of the parish borders Zeals and Stourhead i ...

, and drove them in flight as far as he river

Parrett The River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset. Flowing northwest through Somerset and the Somerset Levels to it ...

n_Somerset.html" ;"title="Somerset.html" ;"title="n Somerset">n Somerset">Somerset.html" ;"title="n Somerset">n Somerset this was fought after he came from East Anglia. He was there 3 years in exile. Penda had driven him out, and taken his kingdom, because he abandoned his [= Penda's] sister.) *682: ASC 682. On þissum geare Centwine gefliemde Bretwealas oþ sę.''On the Parker MS it was 682. On the

Cotton Tiberius This is an incomplete list of some of the manuscripts from the Cotton library that today form the Cotton collection of the British Library. Some manuscripts were destroyed or damaged in a fire at Ashburnham House in 1731, and a few are kept in othe ...

683'' This year also,

Centwine Centwine (died after 685) was King of Wessex from c. 676 to 685 or 686, although he was perhaps not the only king of the West Saxons at the time. The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' reports that Centwine became king c. 676, succeeding Æscwine. Bede s ...

chased the Britons into the sea.

8th century

*710: ASC 710..... & þam ylcan geare feaht Beorhtfrið ealdorman wið Pehtas betwux Hæfe & Cære, & Ine & Nun his mæg gefuhton wið Gerente Weala cyninge, (... and in the same year ealdorman Beorhtfrith fought against

s between

he rivers He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...

Avon and Carron hich_flow_into_the_River_Forth_from_the_south_about_20_miles_west_of_Edinburgh.html" ;"title="River_Forth.html" ;"title="hich flow into the River Forth">hich flow into the River Forth from the south about 20 miles west of Edinburgh">River_Forth.html" ;"title="hich flow into the River Forth">hich flow into the River Forth from the south about 20 miles west of Edinburgh ], and Ine of Wessex, Ine and his relative Nunna fought against Geraint of Dumnonia, Geraint king of Welsh ... [This second battle may have been the Battle of Llongborth.] ) ... *722: According to the Annales Cambriae, 722 saw "the

battle of Hehil The Battle of Hehil was a battle won by a force of Britons, probably against the Anglo-Saxons of Wessex around the year 720. The location is unknown, except that it was ''apud Cornuenses'' ("among the Cornish"). Sources The only direct referen ...

among the Cornish, the battle of Garth Maelog, ndthe battle of Pencon among the south

, and the Britons were the victors in those three battles." *Before 730: Northumbria annexed the kingdom of

Rheged Rheged () was one of the kingdoms of the ''Hen Ogledd'' ("Old North"), the Brittonic-speaking region of what is now Northern England and southern Scotland, during the post-Roman era and Early Middle Ages. It is recorded in several poetic and b ...

. *760: A battle between the Britons and the Saxons, the

Battle of Hereford The Battle of Hereford was fought in 760 at Hereford (in what is now Herefordshire, England). The conflict followed decades of hostility between the Welsh Kingdoms of Brycheiniog, Gwent and Powys by Æthelbald of Mercia and Coenred of Wessex, ...

, in which Dyfnwal son of Tewdwr dies. AC *778: The devastation of the South Britons by

Offa Offa (died 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æt ...

. AC *779: "

Cynewulf Cynewulf (, ; also spelled Cynwulf or Kynewulf) is one of twelve Old English poets known by name, and one of four whose work is known to survive today. He presumably flourished in the 9th century, with possible dates extending into the late 8th ...

and Offa fought at Bensington, and Offa took the town." Asc *784: The devastation of Britain by Offa in the summer AC *794: ASC 794.Her Adrianus papa & Offa cyning forþferdon ... (796 orrected from 794 In this year

pope Hadrian Pope Adrian I ( la, Hadrianus I; died 25 December 795) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 1 February 772 to his death. He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman. Adrian and his predecessors had to contend with periodic ...

and king Offa die.) (AC: 797: Offa king of the Mercians and Maredudd king of the Demetians die, and the battle of Rhuddlan.) *798: Caradog king of

is killed by the Saxons. AC

9th century

*813: ASC 813.... & þy geare gehergade Ecgbryht cyning on West Walas from easteweardum oþ westewearde. (815 orrected from 813 ... and in this year king Ecgbryht raided in Cornwall from east to west.) *816: ... Saxons invaded the mountains of

Eryri Snowdonia or Eryri (), is a mountainous region in northwestern Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951. Name and extent It was a commonly held belief that the nam ...

and the kingdom of

Rhufoniog {{coord, 52.950, -3.275, display=title, region:GB_scale:20000 Rhufoniog was a small sub-kingdom of the Dark Ages Gwynedd, and later a cantref in medieval Wales. Geography The cantref Rhos lay between it and the Irish Sea. Sometimes the two ...

. AC *818:

Cenwulf Coenwulf (; also spelled Cenwulf, Kenulf, or Kenwulph; la, Coenulfus) was the King of Mercia from December 796 until his death in 821. He was a descendant of King Pybba, who ruled Mercia in the early 7th century. He succeeded Ecgfrith, the son ...

devastated the

Dyfed Dyfed () is a preserved county in southwestern Wales. It is a mostly rural area with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel. Between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed was also the name of the area's county council and the name remains in use ...

region. AC *822: The fortress of Degannwy is destroyed by the Saxons and they took the kingdom of Powys into their own control. AC *823: ASC 823.Her wæs Wala gefeoht & Defna æt Gafulforda. ... (825 orrected from 823 Here was a fight of Welsh/Britons

gainst Against may refer to: * ''Against'' (album), 1998 album by Brazilian metal band Sepultura ** "Against" (song) the title track song from the Sepultura album *Against (American band) Against (styled as AgainST) were an American crossover thras ...

men of Devon at

Gafulford Gafulford (alternatively Gafulforda, Gafolforda or Gavelford) is the site of a battle in South West England known from the first entry in the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' for 823 AD (usually corrected to 825 AD): "Her waes Weala gefeoht Def ...

...) *825: The

Battle of Ellendun The Battle of Ellendun or Battle of Wroughton was fought between Ecgberht of Wessex and Beornwulf of Mercia in September 825. Sir Frank Stenton described it as "one of the most decisive battles of English history". It effectively ended Mercian ...

was fought in Wiltshire between Ecgberht of Wessex and Beornwulf of Mercia It effectively ended Mercian Supremacy over the southern kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England and established West Saxon dominance in southern England. *835: ASC 835.Her cuom micel sciphere on Westwalas & hie to anum gecierdon, & wiþ Ecgbryht West Seaxna cyning winnende wæron. Þa he þæt hierde & mid fierde ferde & him wiþ feaht æt Hengestdune & þær gefliemde ge þa Walas ge þa Deniscan. (838 orrected from 835 Here a great ship-army f_Vikings.html" ;"title="Viking.html" ;"title="f Viking">f Vikings">Viking.html" ;"title="f Viking">f Vikingscame to Cornwall and they [= the Cornish] joined them, and were fighting against Ecgbryht king of the Kingdom of the West Saxons, West Saxons. Then he heard and with an army fought against them at Hengestdun and there put to flight both the Cornish and the Danes.) *877: Rhodri Mawr, a Welsh opponent of the Vikings, and his son Gwriad were killed by Mercian forces, even though Mercia was almost completely under the control of the Vikings at the time.Mercia and the Making of England. p. 107 AC *878:

defeated the remnants of the Great Heathen Army at The Battle of Edington. A *893:A combined force containing men from Mercia, Wessex and Wales besieged the Vikings at Buttington for several weeks, starving them out until finally the Vikings had to emerge and they were defeated there by the English and the Welsh: the surviving Vikings fled back to Essex.Mercia and the Making of England. p. 84A

10th century

*4 and 5 August 910 Battle of Wednesfield near Wolverhampton. 'The first written references to Wednesfield came in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle where there is mention of a great battle at Wednesfield in which the Mercians and their allies inflicted a defeat on the Danes, leading to the effective end of their power.' *927: Athelstan evicted the Cornish from

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal c ...

and refortified the city.Wood. In search of the Dark Ages.pp. 146 - 147.''He(Athelstan) now attacked the 'West Welsh'(Cornish) ..crushed their opposition, deported the dissident minority, established a new boundary at the Tamar.. Athelstan was remembered in Cornwall not as a conquering warlord but as the benefactor of their churches.'' *934:

Æthelstan's invasion of Scotland The English king Æthelstan invaded Scotland by land and sea with a large force in AD 934. No record of any battles fought during the invasion has survived and Æthelstan returned to England later in the year. Background Æthelstan's reasons ...

*936:

King Athelstan King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ti ...

set the boundary between England and Cornwall at the River Tamar. *937: Æthelstan's victory at the

Battle of Brunanburh The Battle of Brunanburh was fought in 937 between Æthelstan, King of England, and an alliance of Olaf Guthfrithson, King of Dublin, Constantine II, King of Scotland, and Owain, King of Strathclyde. The battle is often cited as the point ...

*946: ... And Strathclyde was laid waste by the Saxons.Woods. Dark Ages. p.152. Constantine king of the Scots broke his treaty with Athelstan. Whether he was already plotting against Athelstan we can not say, but he must have refused to pay tribute. Athelstan's response was swift.. AC

11th century

* 1016:

Battle of Assandun The Battle of Assandun (or Essendune) was fought between Danish and English armies on 18 October 1016. There is disagreement whether Assandun may be Ashdon near Saffron Walden in north Essex, England, or, as long supposed and better evidenced, ...

, fought in Essex on 18 October between the armies of

Edmund Ironside Edmund Ironside (30 November 1016; , ; sometimes also known as Edmund II) was King of the English from 23 April to 30 November 1016. He was the son of King Æthelred the Unready and his first wife, Ælfgifu of York. Edmund's reign was marred b ...

(King of England) and Canute (King of Denmark). * 1059: Macht, son of Harold, came to Wales with a great army in his train; and the Prince

Gruffudd Gruffudd or Gruffydd ( or , in either case) is a Welsh name, originating in Old Welsh as a given name and today used as both a given and surname. It is the origin of the Anglicised name '' Griffith[s]'', and was historically sometimes treat ...

, and Macht, with combined forces, proceeded against the Saxons, and devastated the country of England a great way towards its centre; and they returned to Wales with great spoil. ByT * 1060: Caradoc, son of Rhydderch, son of lestin, hired Harold to come with an army to S.Wales. Then, conjointly with a great host of the men of Glamorgan and Gwent, they went against Grufudd. After Grufudd, son of Llywelyn, was slain, his head was cut off and taken as a present to Harold. (The ASC dates this as 1063) ByT * 1063: Here Earl Harold and his brother Earl

Tostig Tostig Godwinson ( 102925 September 1066) was an Anglo-Saxon Earl of Northumbria and brother of King Harold Godwinson. After being exiled by his brother, Tostig supported the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada's invasion of England, and was killed ...

went into Wales both with land-army and ship-army, and conquered that land; and that people gave

hostage A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized, such as a relative, employer, law enforcement or government to act, or refr ...

s and submitted to them, and afterwards went to and killed their king Gruffudd, and brought Harold his head, and he set another king for it. ASC (Peterborough manuscript). * 1066:

Battle of Hastings The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman Conquest ...

. William, Duke of Normandy, came as an intruder to the island of Britain, and a pitched battle took place between him and Harold; in which, after a severe and bloody fight, Harold was killed. ByT * 1068: Some of the Saxons sought protection from the Normans in Powys then..'' Afterwards, by the power of the Saxons, Bleddyn, son of Cynvyn, reigned sole king of Gwynedd and Powys; and Meredydd, son of Owain, son of Edwin, by the power of the Saxons became prince of South Wales.'' ByT

ASC Notes

''The Timeline was constructed using the following extracts from the

, they are in their original Old English form. For a more complete version and explanatio
Click Here
:''

Notes

References

* Commissioned in the reign of Alfred the Great * * * Bede. (1903). Translation based on L.C. Jane * * * * * Gildas. (1848). Translation based on Thomas Habington &

J. A. Giles John Allen Giles (1808–1884) was an English historian. He was primarily known as a scholar of Anglo-Saxon language and history. He revised Stevens' translation of the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' and Bede's ''Ecclesiastical History of the English ...

* * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of Anglo-Saxon Settlement In Britain Sub-Roman Britain Conflict in Anglo-Saxon England Anglo-Saxon Settlement In Britain