Welcome to History: The End of Roman Britain and the Arrival of New Settlers!

Hello young historians! Have you ever wondered what happened when the mighty Romans left Britain? Imagine living in a busy town with stone baths, smooth roads, and Roman soldiers keeping guard, and then gradually watching all of that change. In this chapter, we will discover why the Roman soldiers had to leave in c. AD 410, what life was like for the people left behind, and how new groups of people—the Scots and the Anglo-Saxons—came to make Britain their home.

Don't worry if dates and names seem tricky at first! We will break everything down step-by-step with helpful clues and fun memory tricks.

1. Why Did the Romans Leave Britain?

For nearly 400 years, Britain was part of the huge Roman Empire. But towards the end of the fourth century, big troubles were brewing back home in Europe.

Trouble at the Heart of the Empire

The Western Roman Empire was coming under attack from different tribes, such as the Visigoths and the Vandals. These groups were pushing closer and closer to Rome itself. Because Rome was in great danger, Roman emperors began calling their soldiers (legions) back from distant places like Britain to protect the centre of the empire.

Analogy Time: Think of the Roman Empire like a giant castle with a garden far away. If the main castle walls are attacked, the guards in the far corners of the garden are called back inside the main castle to defend it!

The Letter from the Emperor (AD 410)

In c. AD 410 (the little c. stands for circa, which means 'around' that time), the Roman Emperor Honorius sent a famous letter known as the Rescript of Honorius to the people of Britain. He told them that Roman soldiers could no longer come to help them and that they must now look after their own defence.

Did you know? The Romans didn't pack all their bags and vanish in a single night! Soldiers had been leaving in groups over several decades. Many ordinary people with Roman and British backgrounds (known as the Romano-British) stayed right where they were.

What Happened in Britain After the Romans Left?

Without the Roman army and government, life in Britain began to change very quickly:

• No more Roman coins: Money stopped being minted in Britain. People went back to a barter system (swapping goods like milk, wool, or grain instead of paying with coins).
• Crumbling buildings: Grand stone villas, public baths, and towns were no longer kept in good repair.
• Vulnerability to attacks: With no Roman legions patrolling the shores or walls, Britain was exposed to raiders from the sea and the north.

Key Takeaway: The Romans left around AD 410 because they needed their soldiers to defend Rome from invading tribes. Britain was left to defend itself, and Roman coins and stone buildings slowly faded away.

2. The Raids: Picts and Scots

Once the Roman soldiers left, two main groups began attacking the Romano-British people:

1. The Picts: Fierce tribes who lived in the north (what is now Scotland).
2. The Scots: Raiders and settlers who came from Ireland across the Irish Sea.

Important Fact Check: Where Did the Scots Come From?

Be careful not to mix this up! In early history, the word Scots (or Scotti) meant Gaelic-speaking people who sailed from Ireland. They settled in the north-west of Britain in a kingdom called Dál Riata (Dalriada), an area that later became known as Scotland.

Key Takeaway: The Romano-British faced constant raids from the Picts in the north and the Scots arriving by sea from Ireland.

3. The Arrival of the Anglo-Saxons

The Story of Vortigern, Hengist, and Horsa

According to historical stories, a British leader named Vortigern needed help protecting his people from the Picts and Scots. He invited two warrior brothers named Hengist and Horsa to bring their fighters to Britain as hired soldiers (mercenaries).

In exchange, Vortigern promised them land and food. But soon, more warriors arrived from across the North Sea. They realized how fertile Britain's farmland was, revolted against the British leaders, and began taking land for themselves!

Who Were the Anglo-Saxons?

The Anglo-Saxons were made up of three main Germanic tribes who sailed across the sea from northern Germany, Denmark, and the Low Countries (the Netherlands):

• The Angles: Came from northern Germany and southern Denmark.
• The Saxons: Came from north-west Germany.
• The Jutes: Came from the Jutland peninsula (modern-day Denmark) and settled mostly in Kent.

Memory Trick to Remember the 3 Tribes:
All Sailors Journey = Angles, Saxons, Jutes!

Was it Just Fighting?

While there were battles and raids, it was not only an army invasion. Over many years, whole families of Angles, Saxons, and Jutes crossed the sea in wooden boats looking for rich, flat farmland to build peaceful farming communities.

Key Takeaway: The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes came to Britain from northern Germany and Denmark—first invited as fighters, and then arriving in large numbers to farm and settle.

4. Anglo-Saxon Life and the Seven Kingdoms

The Heptarchy (The 7 Main Kingdoms)

Over time, the Anglo-Saxons set up many small territories that eventually joined together into seven main kingdoms, known by historians as the Heptarchy:

1. Northumbria (in the north of England)
2. Mercia (in the Midlands)
3. East Anglia (settled by the Angles in the east)
4. Wessex (the West Saxons)
5. Sussex (the South Saxons)
6. Essex (the East Saxons)
7. Kent (settled predominantly by the Jutes)

Notice a pattern? Wessex, Sussex, and Essex are named after the West, South, and East Saxons!

Anglo-Saxon Village Life

Unlike the Romans who loved large stone towns, the Anglo-Saxons preferred living in small, countryside villages:

• They built their houses out of wood and thatch rather than stone.
• They settled close to fresh water (rivers and streams) and good soil for growing crops and keeping animals.

Clues in Place Names

We can still spot where the Anglo-Saxons lived today by looking at the endings (suffixes) of town and village names:

• -ing means "people of" or "family of" (e.g. Reading, Hastings)
• -ham means "home" or "village" (e.g. Birmingham)
• -ton or -tun means "farm", "enclosure", or "town" (e.g. Southampton)
• -ford means a shallow river crossing (e.g. Oxford)
• -bury or -burgh means a fortified place

Key Takeaway: Anglo-Saxons lived in wooden farming villages and formed seven main kingdoms. Many modern English town names end with Anglo-Saxon words like -ham, -ton, and -ing.

5. Common Historical Pitfalls to Avoid!

Here are four big mistakes that students sometimes make. Make sure you don't fall into these traps!

• Trap 1: Thinking all Romans left overnight in AD 410.
Fact: It was a slow process over many years. The soldiers left, but many Romano-British people continued living in Britain.

• Trap 2: Thinking the Scots came from modern Scotland.
Fact: In early medieval times, the Scots came across the sea from Ireland and settled in western Britain.

• Trap 3: Thinking Anglo-Saxons only conquered through violent wars.
Fact: Many were peaceful farmers migrating with their families to find good agricultural land.

• Trap 4: Confusing Anglo-Saxons with Vikings!
Fact: Anglo-Saxons arrived in the 5th century (400s AD). Vikings did not arrive until hundreds of years later (their first famous raid was at Lindisfarne in AD 793).

Quick Review: Check Your Knowledge!

1. What major event happened in c. AD 410?
Emperor Honorius told the people of Britain to look after their own defence, marking the withdrawal of Roman imperial power.

2. Why were Roman soldiers recalled to Europe?
To defend the Western Roman Empire and Rome from invading tribes like the Visigoths and Vandals.

3. Which three Germanic tribes made up the Anglo-Saxons?
The Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes.

4. Who were the warrior brothers invited by Vortigern?
Hengist and Horsa.

5. What does the place-name ending "-ham" mean?
Home or village (e.g., Birmingham).