Celtic Kingdoms of the British Isles

The Pennines (Romano-Britons)

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With the expulsion of Roman officials in AD 409 (see feature link), Britain again became independent of Rome and was not re-occupied. The fragmentation which had begun to emerge towards the end of the fourth century now appears to have accelerated, with minor princes, newly declared kings, and Roman-style magistrates all vying for power and influence while also facing the threat of extinction at the hands of the various barbarian tribes which were encroaching from all sides.

The capital of the north of Roman Britain was Eboracum (modern York), former territory of the Brigantes. From AD 197 it was the capital of the province of Britannia Inferior but, in the early fourth century, this was renamed Britannia Secunda and was reduced in size, roughly from the Humber to Hadrian's Wall.

This created the concept of a 'Kingdom of Northern Britain' which would be preserved in oral and written traditions in Wales (see feature link for more). It is this late Roman province which Coel Hen is traditionally assumed to have inherited at the end of the fourth century AD.

If that tradition has any basis in fact then Coel Hen was effectively the first post-Roman Governor of the north. Evidence gathered from the lives of the northern British kings shows that it was from this that the kingdom of 'The Pennines' was formed, upon the death of Mor ap Ceneu, Coel's grandson.

While the eldest of his own sons gained the capital city of the north, Ebrauc, the next in line was Arthuis. He was the first 'King of the Pennines', a name which was probably applied by later writers rather than being used by the people of the period, but a variation of it may indeed have been applied.

Arthuis ruled the whole length of the Pennines, but his inheritance meant the further subdivision and weakening of the north of Britain. Upon the abdication of his son, this land was further divided into two kingdoms, Dunoting and The Peak (see feature link). The latter, occupying the modern Peak district, was better land than in the north, and was probably the main base of the 'Kings of the Pennines' while the territory remained undivided.

The name 'Pennines' probably derives from the Celtic 'penn' which means 'mountain', or 'summit' (literally 'head'). The name was also applied to the Apennines in Italy, perhaps by the Celtic inhabitants of its northern reaches. The name would have been formed as 'penn-inus', meaning that it certainly originates in the pre-Anglo-Saxon domination of the region.

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(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Edward Dawson, from History of the Kings of Britain, Geoffrey of Monmouth, from the Annales Cambriae, James Ingram (taken from the Harleian manuscript, the earliest surviving version, London, Everyman Press, 1912), from The Oxford History of England: The English Settlements, J N L Meyers, from the Historia Brittonum (The History of the Britons), Nennius (J A Giles, Ed & Trans, 1841, published as part of Six Old English Chronicles (Henry G Bohn, London, 1848)), from The Oxford History of England: Anglo-Saxon England, Sir Frank Stenton, from The Anglo-Saxon Age c.400-1042, D J V Fisher, from A History of the English Church and People, The Venerable Bede (Leo Sherley-Price translation - revised by R E Latham), and from The Ethnology of Germany Part 3: The Migration of the Saxons, Henry H Howorth (Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol 7, 1878).)

fl c.470

'King of the Pennines'. Son of Mor of 'Northern Britain'.

Probably in power at the same time as the more famous Arthur Pendragon of Britain, Arthuis is often claimed as the historical basis for many of the exploits which are later ascribed to 'King Arthur' (see feature link).

Many of Nennius' Arthurian battles are often said to take place in 'Northern Britain'. These and other northern stories which are associated with 'King Arthur' may, in reality, relate to the achievements of this near contemporary monarch.

Arthuis claimed as his share of his father's lands the central 'spine' of Britain, between the east and west coasts of northern Britain, but it was a relatively tough land to tame

fl c.480

Son. Moved south into the Midlands to found Cynwidion.

c.480

The youngest son of King Arthuis is Cynfelyn. He is later claimed as one of the 'Men of the North' who head southwards to attempt to claim territory in the British Midlands. According to tradition, he controls an area of the East Midlands below Elmet, probably covering elements of what becomes eastern Pengwern and perhaps forming a state with his followers which is called Cynwidion.

c.500 - c.525

Bro. 'King of the Pennines'. Died a monk in Venedotia in 530.

c.500 - 525

Papcastle in Rheged, on the north bank of the River Derwent in Cumbria, is a site of some note. Once an important Roman site, Papcastle derives its name from 'Pabo'. Presumably this is Pabo Post Prydein (the 'Pillar of Britain' for his efforts in holding down the Picts).

Although it is speculation to wonder, could it be possible that Pabo of 'The Pennines' has a holding at the site, even though it is within Rheged? He would be King Meirchion's first cousin once removed, so the family ties are doubtless still close.

Possibly all of the interrelated kings of the north hold pockets of territory or buildings across the region (a novel based in the period by John H Egbers, An Elmet Inquest, posits much the same idea in the form of an Elmetian holding within Rheged).

This map of Britain concentrates on British territories and kingdoms which were established during the fourth and fifth centuries AD, as the Saxons and Angles began their settlement of the east coast (click or tap on map to view full sized)

c.525/c.560s?

Following the abdication of Pabo Post Prydein, the kingdom of the Pennines is divided into The Peak (the southern section) and Dunoting (the northern section). Given the rough regnal lengths of both of Pabo's sons, Sawyl Penuchel and Dunaut, they must both be infants at the time.

Sawyl is clearly active in the later years of what appears to be a very long reign, so it seems possible that he does not rule this territory in person from such an early date. So perhaps someone else does...

c.525 - c.560s?

Son? A lost king/regent, fused with Sawyl Penuchel's reign?

Three possibilities are raised by the long span between Pabo's abdication and Sawyl's death (and all dates here are most certainly approximate). The first is that the name of a possible first ruler of the successor to the Pennines kingdom has been forgotten and his reign has subsequently been merged into that of Sawyl's.

The second is that the territory is bequeathed to him upon his birth and he takes control when he comes of age. The final possibility is that it remains part of the fragmenting kingdom of the Pennines for longer than is thought, and is only sub-divided away from it a generation later than is generally assumed.

The rugged territory of Dunoting, which included Craven, was a relatively tough area in which to survive, and the population figures for Dunoting were probably quite low

This raises the possibility that the 'lost king' who may precede Sawyl and Dunaut is their father while Pabo is their grandfather. This would mark it out as being a simple case of a name being lost from a later royal pedigree. In general, the simplest explanation is usually the best one, and the divided Pennines kingdom becomes in part 'The Peak'.