|
 | Anglo Saxon History |  | |
| | Anglo Saxon Chronicles - 527AD - Cerdicesleigh (Cerdic and Cynric) |
|---|
| | The entry from the Chronicles |
|---|
Original text
Her Cerdic ⁊ Cynric fuhton wiþ Brettas in þære stowe þe is gecueden Cerdicesleaga.
Translation
527AD. This year Cerdic and Cynric fought with the Britons in the place that is called Cerdicesleigh (Lee).
| | Where might it be |
|---|
Cerdicesleigh this is made up of two snippets 'Cerdic's' meaning owned by Cerdice and 'leigh' from the
Saxon 'leah' - 'A lea, meadow, open space' hence becomes 'Cerdices meadow', but over time Cerdic was
dropped and it just became Lee. This Battle was most likely to have been on the roman road from the South West where it
crosses the river Test.
A lot of names in this area are derived from Cerdic's name, this includes Itchenor, the river Itchen (which was probably
the early boundary of Cerdic and Cynric kingdom).
The expansion of the West Saxons seems to have generally North West, and they first take Natanleods land from Netley up
to Shawford, all along the Itchen River. They then take Shawford and defeat the defenders of Chichester.
This battle at Lee seems to have been an attempt by the Briton to take Chichester from the South West, but was stopped
at Lee on the river crossing, and the Britons were driven back, this appears to give the Wessex Saxons control of the
New Forest.
| | |
|---|
| Possible interpretation of the Chronicles |
|---|
My location at Lee is because Margary when plotting the M22 road from Otterbourne to the New Forest could not find the
road around Nursling, and assumed it went straight across the River Test to Calmore, however with the water at 4.5
metres then a more northern route through Lee would be more likely as the Romans didn't like building across tidal
areas. This northern route would have been from Winsor to Wade Hill then Lee.
This battle at Cerdicesleigh (Lee) seems to have allowed the West Saxons to take control of the New Forest area of
Southern Hampshire.
|
Map showing the Battles of Cerdic, Cynric and the West Saxons
|
|---|
Map generated using Google My Maps 2024 - showing the
Landscape, modern Counties and sea in 477AD
Please Note: this map is my interpretation of the Anglo Saxon Chronicles entries relating to Cerdic, Cynric and the West
Saxons and their take over of Hampshire, the thin purple line shows the modern Hampshire boundary.
The logic for the coastal changes and the Forest of Andredsweald can be viewed on the following pages:
Roman Roads in Britain
The Great Forest of Andredsweald - Anglo
Saxon Chronicles
Landscape - Was the sea level in Saxon times
at Pevensey 4 to 5 metres higher ?
Was the high tide in Saxon times 5 metres higher
? - the Wash
Landscape - The History of the Romney Marsh in
maps(Pre-Roman to Modern times)
Roman Locations that have not been identified and roads that
just terminate
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Local Interest
Just click an image |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
