Sequential Maps of the Anglo-Saxon Conquest AD 450-700

AD 450-475

The Roman administration of Britannia officially came to an end in AD 410, although in practise the Romano-British had governed themselves for some time and had expelled that administration in 409 anyway.

The reorganisations of Magnus Maximus, in the 380s, which had secured Britannia's western and northern borders, had begun to break down. Northern Britain was fragmenting as it was gradually divided piecemeal between surviving descendants. Its final division seems to have come circa 470 with Ebrauc losing its western arm, the Pennines.

Likewise, Powys was divided in two following the civil war between Vortigern and Ambrosius Aurelianus. The region which has sometimes been labelled 'Middle Britain' in the more highly civilised heartland of sub-Roman Britain was apparently also in the process of a slower break-up.

Along the Saxon Shore, former laeti settlements and waves of new arrivals were asserting their independence. Hengist and Horsa led the swift conquest of eastern Ceint, while Saxon groups pushed deep into the Thames Valley, and Angles invaded Caer Went and Linnuis. Only Bernaccia and Deywr seemed to be blessed with peaceful Angles on their coastlines.

Sequential Maps of the Anglo-Saxon Conquest AD 450-700

AD 475-500

Twenty five years after the date which is regarded as the start of the Anglo-Saxon conquest (AD 450), the north remained untouched and still relatively powerful. Angles hired as mercenaries (laeti) continued to help defend the eastern coastline.

The Lindisware (Linnuis) Angles appear to have managed a peaceful transition of power. They took on many aspects of sub-Roman administration and lived isolated from the action in the south.

Although the country was in a state of flux, this was the time of Ambrosius Aurelianus, and quite probably Arthur too. Together, or in sequence, they would have organised the much-needed defence of the south: groups of Angles were rapidly colonising Caer Went and penetrating Caer Lerion; the Cantware Jutes conquered Kent by 488; Ælle's Saxons made swift progress on the south coast; and more Saxons had made deep inroads along the Thames Valley, carving out settlements there and threatening the entire West Country. Cynwidion is believed to have quickly lost its western border to the Ciltern Saetan, while the territory around Lundein was swiftly occupied by the Middel Seaxe on either side of the Thames. British resistance culminated in the form of the battle, or siege, of Mons Badonicus circa 496.

Sequential Maps of the Anglo-Saxon Conquest AD 450-700

AD 500-550

More than any other battle or siege, Mons Badonicus had a massive effect on the conquest. Probably led by Ælle, who was the recognised overlord of the invaders, the Saxons of the south had suffered a crushing defeat which seems to have critically weakened the Suth Seaxe, Middel Seaxe, Thames Valley Saxons, and perhaps even the Cantware.

A period of peace which lasted for over a generation followed the British victory. However, Cerdic and his supporters made a grab for power over the West Seaxe in 495-519. In addition, the Angles in the east continued to pour into the Midlands, quickly engulfing Caer Lerion and apparently forcing a passage through Cynwidion's western territory to link up with the Ciltern Saetan, probably shortly before Mons Badonicus. Caer Mincip, a small British enclave, survived on the edge of the (probably weakened) Middel Seaxe kingdom.

By the end of this period the peace was fading, and the first move seems to have been made by the Bernician Angles (British Bernaccia) in 547, situated north of the Humber. Nearby Rheged and the Pennines further sub-divided, while in the south Caer Colun came under attack.

Sequential Maps of the Anglo-Saxon Conquest AD 450-700

AD 550-575

By AD 550, the long peace which had lasted since Mons Badonicus was all but over. Large inroads into British territory were being made by the West Seaxe. With the Wiltsaete pushing against their south-western border, and the West Seaxe forcing their way up from the south, the British stronghold of Caer Gwinntguic collapsed in 552, opening the whole of Salisbury Plain to the Saxons.

They made the most of it by sweeping round Caer Celemion, which continued to hold out, and began a takeover of the Saxons in the Thames Valley and Chilterns (from circa 571 onwards, although this a takeover which is almost entirely undocumented).

British Cynwidion continued to hold out, although its territory would have been much reduced by the Middil Engle making large inroads from the Midlands.

In the Midlands, the Iclingas were just beginning to absorb Angle neighbours to their immediate east and south. The large territory of Powys was divided in two from circa 570, with the eastern half becoming Pengwern (possibly as a Powysian region rather than a kingdom).

In Ebrauc, Angles staged a takeover of the region of Deira (British Deywr). Ebrauc found itself under siege from two sides, and lost ground between circa 570-580.

Sequential Maps of the Anglo-Saxon Conquest AD 450-700

AD 575-600

At the same time as the East Engle were being united under a single king, Angle and Saxon conquests during this period were rapid and extensive.

The West Seaxe defeated three British kings in 577, capturing Caer Baddan, Caer Ceri, and Caer Gloui. The Hwicce moved into the territory to form their own kingdom while the West Seaxe continued to fight against Dumnonia.

That catastrophic British defeat in 577 meant that both Dumnonia and Caer Celemion were now totally isolated, while the East Seaxe consolidated their own kingdom to the north of the Thames Estuary.

North of the Humber, the two Angle kingdoms were also making rapid advances. Ebrauc's defence finally ran out of steam circa 580, which is when it was overrun by the Deiran Angles. The Bernician Angles conquered Dunoting in 595, and appear to have destroyed the kingdom of the Peak around the same time. Saxon groups moved in from the Midlands to adopt the name, becoming the Pecset (Peak settlers).

Elmet was now surrounded by enemies but North Rheged was at the height of its strength, even controlling nearby Galwyddel, until in-fighting brought down its powerful leader.

Sequential Maps of the Anglo-Saxon Conquest AD 450-700

AD 600-650

After that catastrophe, both North and South Rheged fell quickly. Only a small North Rhegedian enclave may have survived against Caer-Guendoleu's border and probably around Carlisle. That pocket kingdom itself was absorbed by Alt Clut, while control of Galwyddel returned to the Gaels on Ynys Manau.

This was a period of Anglo-Saxon consolidation. The Bernician and Deiran Angles secured the west coast, and also destroyed Elmet and the Gododdin.

The Iclingas were swiftly taking over all the Middil Engle settlements in the Midlands. They became known as the Mercians - the March, or border kingdom - between 584-600. By circa 630 they were masters of the East Midlands.

The East Seaxe were gaining overlordship of the Middel Seaxe and the region of theirs which lay south of the Thames, Suther-ge.

The Pecset were settling the Peak district, and the Hwicce seem to have been integrating with the Britons within their new territory. The West Seaxe finally destroyed Caer Celemion, as well as expanding a little further westwards.

Sequential Maps of the Anglo-Saxon Conquest AD 450-700

AD 650-700

Not content with their destruction of the British enclave within their kingdom, the West Seaxe spent the next fifty years wholeheartedly attacking Dumnonia.

Major victories were claimed in 652 and 658, at which time Saxon groups pushed westwards, creating new settlements, taking over some old ones, and anglicising the local names. The Dornsaete settled in the former British tribal canton of the Durotriges, while the Somersaete became their northern neighbours, secure in their territory of woods, marshes and hills once Glastenning had fallen. The Defnas (Devon) Britons were conquered in 681-685, and the West Seaxe gradually took direct control of all these areas, bottling up Dumnonia in what is now Cornwall. The West Seaxe also took the Suther-ge region, but lost the Ciltern Saxons to Mercia.

Mercia itself was busy fighting the mighty Northumbria at this time, which itself managed to lose territory to the Picts in 685. Teaming up with Pengwern, Mercia laid claim to Elmet, but eventual defeats saw Pengwern destroyed and Saxon groups moved in to claim its territory, with Mercia gaining overall control by around 700.

Sequential Maps of the Anglo-Saxon Conquest AD 450-700

AD 700

With the fall of the last sub-Roman territories within what was becoming England, the period of conquest was over.

The remaining unconquered kingdoms in the west (an area which was becoming known as Wales) were only just beginning the hesitant process of unification, and could offer little real threat other than that of raiding across the border.

Mercia had secured the east and west Midlands. It was now free to push in the borders of Powys, and had recently taken Cambridge from the East Engle. The Hwicce and Lindisware were also increasingly coming under their control.

Northumbria had apparently lost some of the former territory of Elmet to the Mercians, and had formed an administrative sub-kingdom in Dunbar (true borders unknown), but they were still the major power in the nine surviving Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

The West Seaxe now dominated the south coast and West Country. The Suth Seaxe were under their domination, and Dumnonia was a shadow of its former self, never again to pose any threat to its neighbours.