English Vista - Hidden Within Every Town and City of England is a Treasure Trove of History and Wonder.

Cheers and welcome to English Vista - A fun and quirky look at the cities and towns of England. Discover the history and wonders which make England truly unique.

Brief, Brief History of England

Thousands and thousands of years ago, believe it or not, England was once part of mainland Europe. But over time the land became covered by water, becoming what is know known as the English Channel. Around 4500BC (Neolithic era) the people of the British Isles began building pretty impressive houses. They also began to domesticate animals including sheep, pigs and cows. For its time, the Isles were pretty much an advanced society. As society slipped into the Bronze Age, trade increased dramatically as gold and tin were abundant in Wales and Cornwall.

Roman Invasion

In 43AD the Romans came a calling for the second time under the leadership of one Emperor Claudius. The Roman invasion and subsequently the conquer of Britain was to last for 400 years, until the fall of the Roman Empire. It wasn't all bad for Britain, as they prospered greatly from trade links with the Romans.

Dark Ages

However the period that followed became known as the Dark Ages, due to the near-total lack of written records from this period. Britain, since Roman times, has been under frequent invasions by various forces due mainly to its strategic and prosperous trading location. Nothing would really change, except for the occassional internal warfare.

Anglo-Saxon Period

The following centuries in Britain became known as the Anglo-Saxon period. Between the 7th-10th centuries the biggest developments were the emergence of Christianity and political unification of England. Originally England referred to the area occupied by the Anglo-Saxons. However, in 927 King Athelstan placed the whole of England under one ruler, a situation which became permanent in 954. England's woes were about to get much worse when in 1016 it was conquered by Danish King Canute the Great, this didn't last too long , when in 1042 it fell into the hands of Edward the Confessor.

Norman Conquest

In 1066 everything changed with the invasion of the Kingdom of England (Norman Conquest) by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), and his success at the Battle of Hastings resulted in Norman control of England. England's ties were now with France (under the rule of King William), and no longer with Scandinavia.

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages (Medieval Times) saw England become a great source of fighting power (eg troops) for the "Kings of England" to use to expand their empires. It also marked an era of uncertainty as with each changing of the Monarch came great changes in rule. There were several major changes which took place during this period, firstly Scotland and Wales became part of England, there was a shift of power from the monarchy to the nobles, people began using hereditary surnames and the Roman Catholic Church began to lose power ( due to a Reformist movement). But the most notable thing to strike the mighty shores of England was the plague (Black Death) in 1348. Nearly 70% of the poulation was wiped out (damn fleas!). This outrageous epidemic would come and go throughout the 14th to 17th centuries.

English Civil War

From 1642 until 1651 England was in the grips of a series of armed conflicts between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The Civil War led to the  replacement of the English monarchy with the Commonwealth of England and established a precedent that British monarchs could not govern without the consent of Parliament.

Interesting Facts

England is named after the Angles, a Germanic tribe who originated in the peninsula of Angeln (now Denmark and northern Germany). The tribe along with other Germanic tribes settled in England during the 5th and 6th centuries.