Timeline of Conflict in Anglo-Saxon Britain - 6th Century

6th Century

• Around 500 AD: Average of suggested dates for the Battle of Badon.
• Around 500 AD: Angles colonised the North Sea and Humber coastal areas, particularly around Holderness.
• 501: (Here Port and his 2 sons Bieda and Mægla came to Britain with 2 ships to the place which is called Portsmouth and slew a young British man, a very noble man. )
• 508: (Here Cerdic and Cynric slew a British king, whose name was Natanleod, and 5000 men with him. Afterwards that land was named Natanleag as far as Cerdicesford .)
• 535 & 536: The extreme weather events of 535-536 likely caused a great famine and thus population loss.
• On or before 547: Bernicia established by Anglo-Saxons taking over part of a Celtic area called Bryneich.
• Around 549: A great plague caused much population loss.
• About 560: Anglo-Saxons conquered all of east Yorkshire and the British kingdom of Ebrauc, and there established Deira.
• 571: (Battle of Bedcanford: Here Cuthwulf fought against Britons at Bedcanford and took 4 settlements: Limbury, Aylesbury, Benson & Eynsham. And in the same year he died.)
• 573: Battle of Arfderydd at Arthuret in Cumbria: Celt fought Celt and weakened their numbers.
• 577: (Battle of Dyrham: Here Cuthwine and Ceawlin fought against Britons and they slew 3 kings: Coinmail & Condidan & Farinmail, in the place which is called Dyrham, and took 3 towns: Gloucester & Cirencester & Bath. ): These entries seem to show that the Britons' defences in the English Midlands collapsed, and the peace that followed the Battle of Mons Badonicus ended, and the Anglo-Saxons obliterated the British Watling Street salient and united their areas and overran the London - Verulamium area and much of the plain of the Midlands. Loss of Bath would separate the Welsh from the Britons of the southwest. After this, the border between Saxons and the southwest Celts was probably at the Wansdyke along the ridge of the Mendip Hills.
• 581: Ælla of Deira took land from the Britons, thus establishing or enlarging Deira.
• Around 584: The Kingdom of the Iclingas became Mercia.
• 584: (Battle of Fethanleag: Here Ceawlin and Cutha fought against Britons in the place that is named Fethanleag and Cutha was slain, and Ceawlin took many settlements and countless war-loot, and in anger he returned to his own land.)
• 590: Elmet joined an alliance of Celtic kingdoms against the expanding Angles of Bernicia. See Elmet and History of Yorkshire#Sub-Roman.
• Afterwards: The Celtic leader Urien of Rheged was murdered. A feud broke out between two of this alliance's key members.