The old city of London was not resettled, but the surrounding areas were captured by the Saxons. Britons and Saxons battled actively for territory, but eventually the Saxons triumphed. The first bishop of the city was Mellitus, appointed in the early 7th Century, when Saeberht of the East Saxons accepted Christianity. It is said that the first St Paul’s Cathedral was founded by Mellitus on the site of a Roman temple dedicated to the pagan goddess Diana. Saeberht was succeeded by pagans and St Paul’s Cathedral, initially only a chapel, was destroyed. A Saxon village, named Lundenwic, was founded in the area of Londinium (named London Fort by Saxons). The estuary of the river Fleet of the area was probably used as a port for merchant ships and fishing boats.
The Mercian tribe took control of the new town in the 8th Century, after which the West Saxon kingdom of Wessex became dominant in the area, as Mercian power waned and tribal dialects transformed to local and regional dialects. Four tribes existed in the area during this time: Mercians, West Saxons, Kents and Northumbrians. The Northumbrians settled in the area north of the river Humber. The Kents, comprised of Jutes and Frisians, settled in the south.
Recent discoveries in the area of Covent Garden include a 600,000 sqare metres, 7th Century Anglo-Saxon settlement. In the late 9th Century, the city of London experienced administrative changes made by Alfred the Great, following his defeat of the Danes. Alfred established two fortified boroughs to defend London’s bridge, which had been reconstructed. The Vikings attacked the city in 1013, and London eventually fell.
The Norman conquest of 1066 marked the beginning of the Middle Ages. William the Conqueror granted city rights to London. During his reign, a number of royal forts were built on the riverfront of London, including the Tower of London, Montfichet’s Castle and Baynard’s Castle, to protect the city from incessant incursions of Vikings. The son of William the Conqueror, William Rufus, began building Westminster Hall in 1097, which was the foundation of the Palace of Westminster that became the main royal residence in the Middle Ages. William the Conqueror upheld the previous Saxon laws, privileges and rights.
Construction of London Bridge began on the site of several older wooden bridges in 1176, and was completed in 1209. It would last for 600 years as the only bridge across the Thames until 1739. The right to self-government was firmly established when King John granted election rights in 1199 and 1215. The First Barons’ War, a civil war in England in 1216, after the signing of the Magna Carta, was the last time the city was occupied by a continental armed force. The barons supported King Louis VIII of France. However, when King John died, the barons moved their support to an English ruler. London gradually began to shed the heavy French linguistic and cultural influences, present since 1066. Between 1350 and 1475, the Age of Chaucer saw a mixed London dialect become the main language of literature; French began to disappear in favor of English. During the Middle Ages, the city of London became a centre of trade, while the nearby town of Westminster became the seat of government. The area between them had become completely urbanised by the 17th Century.