Saxon Timeline
Key events during the Saxon period of British History
This table outlines key dates during the Saxon period of British history, AD410 - AD1066. Part of this timeline was taken from David Nicolle's (1984) book Arthur and the Anglo-Saxon Wars. There are clearly some spurious attributions in it - such as Arthur's presence at Mount Badon and his death. However, it is a generally useful account of the major shifts in power over the period.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 410 - 520 | Angles, Saxons and Jutes begin their migration to the British Isles and settle in England |
| c.600 | Northumbria defeats Strathclyde-Gododdinat |
| 600 | England is divided into seven major kingdoms (view map);Kent, Northumbria, Wessex, Essex, Sussex, Mercia and East Anglia |
| C.615 | Northumbria defeats Britons near Chester. |
| 627-634 | Northumbria converted to Christianity |
| C.628 | Anglo-Saxon Hwicce (Gloucester) annexed by Mercia |
| 634 | Northumbria defeats Gwynned at Hexham |
| 635 | Bernicia, Deira and Celtic Elmet formally united as the kingdom of Northumbria |
| 653 | Essex converted to Christianity |
| 655 | Pagan Mercia defeated by Northumbria and converted to Christianity |
| 658 | Most of Somerset conqueredby Wessex |
| 664 | Synod of Whitby |
| 679 | Northumbria defeated by Mercia at Trent |
| 681-686 | Sussex converted to Christianity |
| 685 | Northern Picts defeat Northumbrians at Dunnichen |
| 686 | Isle of Wight annexed by Wessex, conversion of this last Anglo-Saxon realm to Christianity |
| c.690-720 | Devon absorbed by Wessex |
| 700-710 | Lindsey absorbed by Mercia |
| c.730 | Chiltern-Saeten (Chiltern Hills) annexed by Mercia |
| 741 | King Oengus of the Picts defeats Scots of Dal Riata |
| 793 | Lindisfarne monastery raided; first dated Norse attack |
| c.800 | Northumbria loses Dumfries to Strathclyde |
| 814 | South Welsh Dumnonia (Cornwall) conquered by Wessex |
| 816 | Welsh kingdomof RhuFuniog conquered by Mercia |
| 841 | Norse found city of Dublin |
| c.843 | 'Treachery of Scone', Southern Pictish leaders murdered by Scots of Dal Riata . Picts put under Scottish king, formation of united kingdom of Alban |
| 865-867 | Norse 'Great Army' raids across England, captures York |
| 870 | Norse capture Dumbarton, Strathclyde capital |
| 871 - 899 | Alfred is King of Wessex unites the Saxons and resists the Danes |
| 871 | Alfred of Wessex halts Norse advance at battle of Ashdown |
| 875-900 | Norse settle in Galloway |
| 876 | Norse begin to settle in England |
| 879 | Norse force Alfred of Wessex to retreat to Athelney |
| 879 | Wessex defeats Norse of East Anglia |
| C.910-920 | Northumbria loses Carlisle and northern Cumbria to Strathclyde |
| 911 | London and Home Counties north of Thames annexed by Wessex |
| 912-917 | Norse East Anglia conquered by Wessex |
| 917-918 | 'Danish' (Norse) Mercia conquered by Wessex |
| 919 | 'English' Mercia annexed by Wessex |
| 919 | Norse kingdom of York conquered by Wessex |
| 920 | Edward of Wessex recognised as senior king in Britain. |
| 924 - 939 | Atheslstan rules England |
| 937 | Wessex defeats Celtic-Norse'Grand Alliance at Brunaburgh |
| 956 | Strathclyde loses Menteith and Lennox to Alban |
| 959 | Unification of England under king Edgar of Wessex |
| 962 | Northumbria loses Edinburgh and Midlothian to Alban |
| 973 | Northumbria cedes suzerainty over Lothian and 'Borders' to Alban |
| 1006 | Alban defeated by Northumbria |
| 1013 - 1042 | Danish Kings rule England |
| 1014 | Celtic-Irish defeat Norse and Norse-Irish at battle of Clontarf |
| 1015 | Strathclyde temporarily annexed by Alban |
| 1016 | Knut the Great joins England to his 'empire' of Denmark and Norway |
| 1018 | Alban defeats Northumbria at Carham., annexes Lothian and 'Borders' |
| 1034 | Strathclyde finally annexed by Alban |
| 1038 | Galloway annexed by Alban (effective creation of united kingdom of Scotland) |
| 1042 - 1066 | The Saxon, Edward the Confessor is King of England |
| 1062 | Earl Harold of Wessex defeats Gruifydd, high king of Wales |
| 1066 | Anglo-Saxons defeat Norse at Stamford Bridge. Normans defeat Anglo-Saxons at Battle of Hastings, conquer England. and start of Norman Rule |
Nicolle, D, 1984, Arthur and the Anglo-Saxon Wars. Osprey