SAXON ENGLAND
By Tim Lambert
C. 450 Invasions by Angles, Saxons and Jutes begin
477 According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Saxons led by Aella land in Sussex this year near Pevensey
C. 520
The Celts utterly defeat the Saxons at the battle of 'Mount Badon', somewhere in Somerset, halting their advance for decades
577
The Saxons defeat the Romano-Celts at the battle of Deorham. Afterwards the Saxons capture, Bath, Cirencester and Gloucester. They cut the Celts in Wales off from the Celts in Southwest England.
597 St Augustine arrives in Kent and begins to convert the Saxons
601 Augustine becomes the first Archbishop of Canterbury
604 The first Bishop of London is appointed
664 The Synod (church meeting) at Whitby
735 The Venerable Bede dies
757-796 Offa reigns in Mercia
793 The first Viking raid on England. They sack the monastery at Lindisfarne.
865 The Danes invade England
871
The Saxons defeat the Danes at Ashdown
Alfred the Great becomes king of Wessex
878 Alfred crushes the Danes at the battle of Edington.
879
By the treaty of Wedmore England is split between the Saxons and the Danes. Watling Street forms part of the border. London is left in Danish hands.
886 Alfred recaptures London from the Danes
899 Alfred dies aged 50
899-924
The reign of Edward the Elder. In 901 Edward calls himself 'King of the Angles and Saxons'. In 913 he recaptures Essex from the Danes. Over time the Saxon kings take over all of the Danish territory (the Danelaw).
924-939
The battle of Brunanburh. The English defeat an army of Danes, Scots and Irish.
939-946 The reign of Edmund
946-955 The reign of Edred
955-959 The reign of Edwy
959-975 The reign of Edgar
975-978 The reign of Edward the Martyr. He is stabbed to death in Dorset.
978-1016 The reign of Ethelred
1016-1035 The reign of Canute
1035-1040 The reign of Harold I
1040-1042 The reign of Hardicanute
To read a timeline of English history click here.