After the mighty Romans marched away from Britain, the land did not stay empty for long. New people crossed the sea to build farms, villages and kingdoms — and their story shaped the England we know today.
The Anglo-Saxons settle
Around 410 CE, Roman soldiers left Britain to defend other parts of their empire. Afterwards, people called the Anglo-Saxons — the Angles, Saxons and Jutes — sailed across the North Sea and settled as farmers, clearing land and building wooden villages. Britain was not one country yet: there were several kingdoms, such as Wessex, Mercia and Northumbria, each with its own king. The English language we speak grew mostly from Anglo-Saxon words.
The Vikings arrive
From the late 700s CE, seafarers from Scandinavia — the Vikings — began sailing to Britain in long wooden ships. At first they came to raid, but later many came to stay: farming, trading, and growing towns such as Jorvik (now York). The area where they settled became known as the Danelaw.
King Alfred and one kingdom
When Viking armies pushed deep into England, King Alfred of Wessex did not give up — he defended his kingdom and later agreed borders with the Viking leaders. He is remembered as "Alfred the Great" for this, and for encouraging learning and translating books into English. The kings who followed him gradually brought the kingdoms together, until England became one kingdom — while Anglo-Saxons and Vikings often ended up living, trading and marrying in the same towns.
Put these events in order, earliest first:
- Roman soldiers leave Britain (410 CE)
- Anglo-Saxons settle and set up kingdoms (about 450 CE)
- Viking raids on Britain begin (about 793 CE)
- King Alfred defends Wessex (about 878 CE)
- The kingdoms unite into one England (about 927 CE)
Most people, Anglo-Saxon or Viking, were farmers who lived in wooden houses and made much of what they needed by hand — while skilled workers made beautiful jewellery and carvings, and traders in towns like Jorvik swapped goods from far away.