Anglo-Saxon Britain
Who the Anglo-Saxons were: Germanic peoples who settled in Britain after the Romans left; their kingdoms, villages, place names, art, and eventual conversion to Christianity
What a learner can do afterwards
- Explain who the Anglo-Saxons were and when they came to Britain (after the Romans left)
- Name at least two Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (e.g. Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria)
- Give an example of Anglo-Saxon influence still visible today (place names ending in -ton, -ham, -bury)
The lesson
After the Romans left Britain, new people began arriving by boat across the sea. They came from lands we now call Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. We call them the Anglo-Saxons. They were different from the Vikings, who arrived later. The Anglo-Saxons built villages, farmed the land, and slowly became the new rulers of Britain.
In the south of Britain was a kingdom called Wessex. Further north was Mercia, and beyond that was Northumbria. Each kingdom had its own king, its own warriors, and its own land to defend. Over time, the strongest kings tried to bring the kingdoms together.
Later, monks travelled from Rome and Ireland to teach the Anglo-Saxons about Christianity. Many kings chose to follow the new faith, and monasteries were built where monks prayed and copied books by hand. If you see a town name ending in -ton, -ham, or -bury today, you are looking at an Anglo-Saxon word that has lasted over a thousand years.
The Anglo-Saxons sailed to Britain after the Romans left, built kingdoms such as Wessex and Mercia, and left their mark in place names like Boston and Nottingham that we still use today.
Watch it
Where it sits
Learn first
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.