6th century in England
Events from the 6th century in England.
Events
[edit]- c. 500
- Angles colonise the North Sea and Humber coastal areas, particularly around Holderness.[1]
- 501
- Port and his sons, Bieda and Mægla, arrive at modern-day Portsmouth.[2]
- 519
- 527
- Foundation of the Kingdom of Essex.[1]
- 536
- The Extreme weather events of 535–536 likely caused a great famine and decline in population.
- 547
- 549
- A great plague causes much population loss.
- 550
- 560
- 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 from the British, 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
- 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[1] 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.[1]
- Possible foundation date of Repton Abbey.