6th century in England

Events from the 6th century in England.

Events

• c. 500
• Angles colonise the North Sea and Humber coastal areas, particularly around Holderness.
• 501
• Port and his sons, Bieda and Mægla, arrive at modern-day Portsmouth.
• 519
• Cerdic founds the Kingdom of Wessex.
• 527
• Foundation of the Kingdom of Essex.
• 536
• The Extreme weather events 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.
• 549
• A great plague causes much population loss.
• 550
• Gildas completes his post-Roman history On the Destruction of Britain.
• 560
• Angles conquer eastern Yorkshire and the British kingdom of Ebrauc, and establish the Kingdom of Deira.
• 571
• Foundation of the Kingdom of East Anglia.
• Battle of Bedcanford: Cuthwulf captures Limbury, Aylesbury, Benson, and Eynsham.
• 577
• Battle of Deorham: Ceawlin of Wessex captures Gloucester, Cirencester and Bath from the British, expanding his kingdom to the west.
• 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.
• 585
• Foundation of the Kingdom of Mercia.
• 590
• Elmet joins an alliance of Celtic kingdoms against the expanding Angles of Bernicia.
• Urien of Rheged murdered.
• 597
• Augustine leads a papal mission to Britain, converts Kent to Christianity, becomes the first Bishop of Canterbury and founds the predecessor of The King's School, Canterbury.
• 598
• Traditional foundation date of St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury.
• c. 600
• Battle of Catraeth (perhaps Catterick, North Yorkshire): Northumbria defeats an invasion by a combined force from Wales and Lothian.
• Possible foundation date of Repton Abbey.

References