Early settlement
Following the virtual abandonment of the
Roman city, the area's strategic location on the River Thames meant
that the site was not deserted for long. From the late 5th century,
Anglo-Saxons began to inhabit the area.
There is almost no reliable evidence about
what happened in the London area during the Sub-Roman "Dark Age" period
from around 450 AD to 600
AD. Although early Anglo-Saxon settlement avoided the area immediately
around Londinium, there was occupation on a small scale of much of the
hinterland on both sides of the river. There is no contemporary
literary evidence, but the area must for some time have been an active
frontier between Saxons and Britons.
Lundenwic
Early Anglo-Saxon settlement in the London
area was not on the site of the abandoned Roman city, although the
Roman city walls remained intact.
Instead, by the 7th century a village and
trading centre named Lundenwic, was established approximately
one mile (1.6km) to the west of Londinium (named Lundenburh
or "London Fort" by the Saxons Probably using the mouth of the
River Fleet as a trading ship and fishing boat harbour.
Lundenwic in the early eighth century, was
described by the Venerable Bede as "a trading centre for many nations
who visit it by land and sea". The word "wic" was an Old English word for 'trading town' ,
so Lundenwic literally meant 'London trading town'.
Archaeologists were for many years
puzzled as to where early
Anglo-Saxon London was located, as they could find little evidence of
occupation within the Roman city walls from this period. However in the
1980s it was 'rediscovered' after extensive excavations were
reinterpreted as of an urban character by archaeologists Alan Vince and
Martin Biddle working independently . Recent
excavations in the Covent Garden
area have uncovered the extensive Anglo-Saxon settlement dating back
into the 7th century. The excavations show that the settlement covered
about 600,000 square metres, stretching from the present-day National
Gallery site in the west to Aldwych in the east.
By about 600 AD Anglo-Saxon England had
become divided into a number of small kingdoms (see Heptarchy) From the
mid-6th century, the London area was incorporated into the East Saxons kingdom, which extended as far
west as St Albans and included all of later Middlesex, and probably
Surrey too for a time.In 604 Saeberht of the East Saxons converted to
Christianity and London received Mellitus, its first post-Roman bishop.
At this time Essex owed allegiance to the Bretwalda Ethelbert of Kent, and it was under
Ethelbert that Mellitus founded the first St.
Paul's Cathedral, traditionally said to be on the site of an old
Roman Temple of Diana (although Christopher Wren
found no evidence of this). This would have only been a modest church
at first and may well have been destroyed after he was expelled from
the city by Saeberht's pagan successors in 616. Christianity did not
return until around 675 when Theodore of Tarsus installed St Eorconweald as bishop.
|
|
The new town came under direct Mercian
control in c.670 as the East Saxon kingdom of which it had once been
part was gradually reduced in size and status. After the death of the
Mercian king Offa in 796, control of London was disputed between Mercia
and Wessex.
Viking attacks
Attacks from Vikings
became increasingly common from around 830 onwards. London was attacked
in 842 in a raid that was described by a chronicler as the "great
slaughter". In 851 another raid on London, reputedly involving 350
ships, came to plunder the city.
In 865 the Viking "Great Heathen Army"
launched a large scale invasion of East Anglia and soon overran East
Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria and came close to controlling most of
England. By 871
they had reached London, and are believed to have camped within the old
Roman walls during the winter of that year. Although it is unclear what
happened during this time, London may have come under Viking control
for a period.
In 878 however, English forces led by King
Alfred the Great defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Edington and
forced the Viking leader Guthrum to
sue for peace. The Treaty of Wedmore and the later Treaty of Alfred and
Guthrum divided England into Alfred's Saxon controlled kingdom and
Danish controlled Danelaw
Lundenburh
English rule in London was restored by 886.
King Alfred quickly set about establishing fortified towns or "Burhs"
across England to improve defences, London was no exception. Within ten
years, settlement within the old Roman walls was re-established, but
known as Lundenburh. The Roman walls were repaired and the
defensive ditch re-cut. This move was effectively the beginning of the
present City of London, the boundaries of which are still to some
extent defined by the ancient city walls.
As the focus of the city was moved back to
within the old Roman walls, the older settlement of Lundenwic
was largely abandoned and gained the name of Ealdwic or "old
settlement". The name survives today as Aldwych.
10th century
London
Alfred appointed his son-in-law Earl
Aethelred of Mercia, who was the heir to the destroyed Kingdom of
Mercia, as Governor of London and established two defended Boroughs to defend the bridge which was
probably rebuilt at this time. The southern end of the Bridge was
established as the Borough of Southwark or Suthringa Geworc
(defensive work of the men of Surrey) as it was originally known. From
this point, the City of London began to develop its own unique local
government.
|
|
After Aethelred's death, London came
under the direct control of English kings. The Kingdom of England
established by Alfred was expanded by his son Edward the Elder who won
back much land from Danish control. By the early 10th century London
had become an important commercial centre. Although the capital of the
Kingdom of England was in Winchester, London became increasingly
important as a political centre. King Aethelstan held many Royal
Councils in London and issued laws from there. King Aethelred the Unready favoured London as
his capital and issued the Laws of London
there in 978.
The Vikings
return
It was during the reign of Aethelred that
Viking raids began again, led by King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark.
London was attacked unsuccessfully in 994, but numerous raids followed.
By 1013 London underwent a long siege and Aethelred fled abroad. King
Sven died but his son Canute continued the attacks, and the following
year overran the city.
Aethelred returned with his ally Olaf of
Norway to reclaim London. A Norse saga
tells of a battle during the Viking occupation where Aethelred returned
to attack Viking-occupied London. According to the saga, the Danes
lined London Bridge
and showered the attackers with spears. Undaunted, the attackers pulled
the roofs off nearby houses and held them over their heads in the
boats. Thus protected, they were able to get close enough to the bridge
to attach ropes to the piers and pull the bridge down, thus ending the
Viking occupation of London. There is some speculation that the nursery
rhyme "London Bridge is falling down" stems from this incident.
Following Aethelred's death in 1016, his
son Edmund Ironside
was declared king. The Vikings however returned and again placed London
under siege. Initially the city's defenders were able to hold back the
invaders. However, Edmund was eventually forced to share power with
Canute. When Edmund died Canute became the sole King of England. After
two short lived Danish kings, (Harold Harefoot and Harthacanute) the
Anglo-Saxon line was restored when Canute's stepson Edward the
Confessor
took up the throne in 1042.
Run up to
the Norman invasion
Following Edward's death, no clear heir was
apparent, and his cousin, Duke William of
Normandy, claimed the throne. The Royal Council, however, met in
the city and elected the dead King's brother-in-law, Harold Godwinson
(The Earl of Wessex)
as King. He was crowned in Westminster Abbey. William, outraged by
this, then sent an army to invade England. on 11th of October 1066
Harold marched his army out of London.At Hastings, on 15
October 1066, the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom ended and Norman England began.
The Kingdoms were demolished and replaced by counties.
|
www.wessextouristboard.org.uk
