6th century in England

	6th century in England
	Other centuries
	5th century \| 6th century \| 7th century

Events from the 6th century in England.

Events

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
- 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.
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.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Palmer, Alan; Veronica (1992). The Chronology of British History. London: Century Ltd. pp. 29–30. ISBN 0-7126-5616-2.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

[CBH-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Palmer, Alan; Veronica (1992). The Chronology of British History. London: Century Ltd. pp. 29–30. ISBN 0-7126-5616-2.

[ASC-2] Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

[1]

[2]

v t e Timelines of early English history (to 927)
Prehistoric Britain	Prehistory
Roman Period	1st century 2nd century 3rd century 4th century
Anglo-Saxon England	5th century 6th century 7th century 8th century 9th century 10th century