6th century in England

6th century in England:

Other centuries

5th century | 7th century

Events from the 6th century in England.

Events

• around 500
  • Angles colonise the North Sea and Humber coastal areas, particularly around Holderness.^[1]
• 501
  • Port and his sons, Bieda and Mægla, arrive at what is now Portsmouth.^[2]
• 519
  • Cerdic founds the Kingdom of Wessex.^[1]
• 527
  • Foundation of the Kingdom of Essex.^[1]
• 536
  • The climate changes of 535–536 likely caused a great famine and decline in population.
• 547
  • Angles under Ida conquer a Celtic area called Bryneich, founding the Kingdom of Bernicia.^[1]
• 549
  • A great plague causes much population loss.
• 550
  • Gildas completes his post-Roman history On the Destruction of Britain.^[1]
• 560
  • Angles conquer eastern Yorkshire and the British kingdom of Ebrauc, and establish the Kingdom of Deira.^[1]
• 571
  • Foundation of the Kingdom of East Anglia.^[1]
  • Battle of Bedcanford: Cuthwulf captures Limbury, Aylesbury, Benson, and Eynsham.^[2]
• 577
  • Battle of Deorham: Ceawlin of Wessex captures Gloucester, Cirencester, and Bath, expanding his kingdom to the west.^[2]
• 581
  • Ælla enlarges the Kingdom of Deira.
• 584
  • Battle of Fethanleag, perhaps at Stoke Lyne in Oxfordshire: Ceawlin and Cutha fight against the Britons; the latter is killed and the former returns to his kingdom.^[2]
• 585
  • Foundation of the Kingdom of Mercia.^[1]
• 590
  • Elmet joins an alliance of Celtic kingdoms against the expanding Angles of Bernicia.
  • Urien of Rheged murdered.
• 597
  • Saint Augustine leads a papal mission to Britain, converts Kent to Christianity, and becomes the first Bishop of Canterbury.^[1]
• 598
  • Traditional foundation date of St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury.
• 600
  • Battle of Catterick: Northumbria defeats an invasion by a combined force from Wales and Lothian.^[1]

References

See also