The Anglo-Saxons (name derived from the Angles, Jutes and Saxons who left
their homelands in Northern Germany, Denmark and Northern Holland) called themselves ENGLISC and arrived in England (Angle-Land) shortly after the departure of the Roman army in 410AD.

Once they had arrived the Anglo-Saxons slowly pushed the Celts to the fringes of Britain, by now what used to be Roman Britain had been replaced as Anglo-Saxon Britain. The Celts remained in Cornwall, Wales and Scotland (Ireland had a large population of Celts also). The Anglo-Saxon areas eventually combined into Kingdoms and the country had three competing kingdoms: Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex (East Anglia and Kent came at a later date).

Not only were these three Kingdoms competing with themselves but were also under sustained attacks from Vikings.

The Vikings culminated a "Great Army" and landed in East Anglia in 850AD, it was a victory for the Vikings who by 875AD gained the territories of Mercia and Northumbria....only Wessex remained Anglo-Saxon.

In 878AD the Vikings attacked Wessex, the Saxon king Alfred fled to the marshes of Somerset, he later regrouped and counter attacked the Vikings. His efforts and those of his later son and grandsons pushed Eric Bloodaxe and the rest of the Vikings Northwards.

955AD Alfred The Great (grandson of Eadred) ruled over a United England, which by now was ruled by one King.

In 1012 England was under Viking control by King Cnut (son of the Danish Viking King Svein)..after Cnut's suspicious death England fell back into the hands (after several battles) of the Anglo-Saxons.

Another wave of Viking attacks occurred in the time of Elthelred The Unready. He found his Kingdom under attack on all coasts by Norsemen. On his death in 1066AD, the country collapsed into competing Earldoms under the King Edward The Confessor.

One of the strongest of these Earls were Harold Earl of East Anglia, because of several battles and intermarriages, Harold controlled Wessex. He became very powerful and because of this he was able to claim the throne after the death of Edward the Confessor but his claim was disputed by William Duke of Normandy.

During this time two major influences occurred in England, one being the coming of Christianity, brought in by Irish monks to places such as Lindesfarne..the other was the Viking Raider which by proxy helped William to conquer Britain.

After the death of Edward the Confessor the Vikings saw a chance to gain a foothold in Britain and an Army was landed in Yorkshire in 1066.

Harold marched North to attack the Vikings under Harald of Norway and Tostig ( Harold's brother). He defeated the Norsemen near York but whilst celebrating their victory they learnt that William of Normandy had landed in Southern England.

After marching for 240 miles (within 13 days) from Yorkshire to Sussex (where the Normans were camped near to Hastings). The Battle of Hastings occurred which resulted in the death of Harold with an arrow to the eye...William was crowned William I in London on Christmas day 1066.