The following is a timeline of the history of Northumbria and Northumberland, England.
Pre-2nd century 10,000 BC First people arrived and lived in Northumbria 7,800BC Mesolithic house on the coast at Howick excavated and dated to this time
1st century 79 Romans first arrived in Northumbria Vindolanda Roman fort first built of timber 79-80 Romans occupied Northumberland with Corbridge as their main base and river crossing
2nd Century 105 Vindolanda was abandoned, but later rebuilt and enlarged 120-122 Pons Aelius small Roman fort and bridge was established in what is now Newcastle upon Tyne 122 July: Hadrian visited Northumbria and ordered the building of Hadrian's Wall Construction of Hadrian's Wall began 126 Hadrian's Wall was completed 128 Hadrian's Wall was completed 132 Hadrian's Wall was completed
197 Two Roman forts in Redesdale were attacked and destroyed, but were later rebuilt
3rd century 297 Picts invaded Northumbria from the north and it took the Romans 9 years to regain control
4th century 311 Two Roman forts in Redesdale were again attacked and destroyed by the Picts and abandoned 342 Picts attacked Northumbria 367 Picts attacked again 382 Picts attacked again
5th century 407-410 Roman army withdrawn
6th century 540s 547 Ida, the leader of the Anglian royal family of Bernicia, extended the boundaries of Bernicia northwards to include areas centred on Bamburgh Dinguardi (Bamburgh) was captured and became the seat of Anglian power in the Kingdom of Bernicia
550s 559 Ida of Bernicia is the first known King of Bernicia; he reigned from 547 to 559. 590s 593 Æthelfrith became king of Bernicia, with its capital in Bamburgh
7th century 600s 603 Æthelfrith, king of Bernicia defeated the Scots of Dalriada (Argyll) and Anglian colonisation was free to proceed 604 Æthelfrith, king of Bernicia, took control of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Deira to form Northumbria
610s 613 Æthelfrith engaged in the Battle of Chester. 617 Eadwine became king of the united realms of Bernicia and Deira
620s 625 Paulinus arrived in Northumbria from Canterbury 627 Paulinus, Roman missionary, preached and baptised in Northumbria Edwin of Northumbria was baptised
630s 633 King Edwin of Northumbria was killed at the Battle of Hatfield Chase, after which Cadwallon ap Cadfan, King of Gwynedd, took over the throne of Northumbria In the Battle of Heavenfield, Oswald of Northumbria, leading a borrowed Scottish army, defeated Cadwallon ap Cadfan Lindisfarne Priory founded by Irish monk Saint Aidan 634-642 Oswald of Northumbria "reunited the whole of Northumbria". 635 Saint Aidan went from Iona to Lindisfarne to build a monastery, given by Oswald of Northumbria 638 Gododdin hillfort at Edinburgh is captured by Oswald of Northumbria (see Northumbrian Edinburgh)
650s 651 Saint Aidan died 660s 660 St Ebba's Chapel was established at Ebb's Nook, Beadnell 664 The Synod of Whitby resulted in the Celtic church being driven out of Northumbria and replaced by the Roman Catholic church
670s 671/672 Saint Wilfrid given the site for a church at Hexham by Northumbrian queen Æthelthryth 675-80 St Wilfrid's Church built at Hexham
680s 685 Loss to Picts at Battle of Dun Nechtain (Nechtansmere) limits northern expansion. 687 Cuthbert, patron saint of Northumbria, died at his Inner Farne Island hermitage 698-721 Bishop Eadfrith led the community of Lindisfarne
8th century 700s 709 Acca is appointed as Bishop of Hexham 710s 715 Eadfrith creates the Lindisfarne Gospels 720s 721 Bishop Eadfrith died 730s 735 Alcuin of York is born, later a major figure in the Carolingian Renaissance under Charlemagne. 790s 793 8 June: Vikings raid Lindisfarne
9th century 800s 802 11 June: Egbert of Lindisfarne was consecrated Bishop of Lindisfarne at St Peter's Church, Bywell 820s 827 Northumbria accepts Egbert of Wessex as overlord. 860s 865 Northumbrians led by Aelle II defeat Ragnar Lodbrok's raiding Vikings. 866 York and southern Northumbria are conquered and settled by the "Great Heathen Army." 867 Aelle II and Osberht join forces only to be defeated at the Battle of York 870s 875 The Lindisfarne Gospels were moved from Lindisfarne to escape the Viking threat Vikings under Halfdan Ragnarsson sailed into the River Tyne and sacked monasteries at Tynemouth and Jarrow, before setting up camp at Gateshead 876 Halfdan Ragnarsson and his Danes laid the country waste, sacking Hexham and destroying St Wilfrid's Church
10th century 910s 915 Ealdred I of Bernicia and Constantine II of Scotland are defeated by Vikings in the first Battle of Corbridge 920s 927 Earldom of Northumbria created by Athelstan 930s 937 Athelstan defeats Norse-Celtic force in the battle of Brunanburh 940s 947/48 Eric Bloodaxe King of Northumbria. 950s 952/54 Eric Bloodaxe King of Northumbria again. 954 Eadred of Wessex permanently "absorbed Northumbria into the English Kingdom." 990s 993 Bamburgh Castle destroyed by the Vikings. 995 Monks from Lindisfarne establish Durham
11th century 1010s 1013 Uhtred the Bold, ealdorman of all Northumbria submitted to Sweyn Forkbeard as did all of the Danes in the north. 1018 Lothian is lost to the King of Scots Malcolm II. 1040s 1041 Eadwulf, earl of Bamburgh was "betrayed" by king Harthacnut and killed by Siward 1060s 1065 The term Northumberland is first recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 1069 William I ruthlessly suppressed opposition in the Harrying of the North in Northumbria and Durham Bedlington was one of the places where Saint Cuthbert's coffin rested as the monks sought to return it to Lindisfarne
1070s 1072 William I crosses Northumbria into Scotland, supported by a large fleet, to challenge King Malcolm III of Scotland According to the Chronicles of the Monk of Tynemouth, King William, returning from Scotland, encamped a large army on the River Tyne near Newcastle, which had formerly been known as Monkchester 1073 Aldwin, Prior of Winchcombe, along with two monks from Evesham, visited Monkchester 1079 King Malcolm III led the Scots in another attack on Northumbria
1080s 1080 Robert Curthose, on return from an expedition in Scotland, laid the foundation of a wooden 'new castle' to defend the Tyne crossing at Newcastle, from which the town took its name 1086 Robert de Mowbray became Earl of Northumbria 1088 Robert de Mowbray rebelled against William II of England in the Rebellion of 1088 1089 Northumberland county is created
1090s 1091 St Nicholas' Church in Newcastle upon Tyne was founded by Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury 1092 William Rufus had the castle at Newcastle rebuilt in stone 1093 Malcolm III of Scotland again invaded Northumbria and reached Alnwick. In the Battle of Alnwick Malcolm was killed 1095 Robert de Mowbray again rebelled against William II of England Bamburgh Castle, the seat of Robert de Mowbray, was besieged by William II. de Mowbray escaped but was captured at Tynemouth and Bamburgh Castle fell. He was subsequently imprisoned for life. Castle at Newcastle was captured during a revolt by Norman barons, but later retaken by William Rufus Prudhoe Castle built (approx date). 1096 Alnwick Castle construction begins.
12th century 1100s 1105 Holy Trinity church in Old Bewick given by Queen Matilda to Tynemouth Priory 1110s 1113 Hexham Abbey was refounded
1120s 1121 Norham Castle construction begins. 1130s 1135 Construction started of Brinkburn Priory 1136 King David I of Scotland invaded Northumbria, capturing Wark, Norham, Alnwick and Newcastle, all of which he later gave up 1138 King David I of Scotland again invaded, capturing the same places as taken in earlier campaigns Construction of Newminster Abbey was begun, near Morpeth 1139 Under the terms of the Treaty of Durham, Northumberland, with the exception of Newcastle and Bamburgh, was ceded to Scottish rule
1140s 1147 Alnwick Abbey is founded 1149 Newcastle was conceded to the Scots by Henry of Anjou, in return for Scottish support
1150s 1150 Warkworth Castle built (approx date). 1157 Henry II reclaims Northumberland from Scotland Alnwick Castle rebuilt in stone 1160s 1160 Castle is built at Norham 1165 Blanchland Abbey is founded 1170s 1172 Construction of The Castle, Newcastle, a stone castle with rectangular keep was begun, 1173 William the Lion of Scotland invaded Northumbria in an unsuccessful campaign 1174 William the Lion of Scotland again invaded Northumbria and laid siege to Newcastle, but was unable to take it While besieging Alnwick, William I of Scotland is captured and imprisoned in Newcastle. 1180s 1181-1536 The monks of Newminster Abbey held the lordship of Kidland with a right of way from Newminster
13th century 1210s 1213 King John granted a charter under which the burgesses of Newcastle would be confirmed in perpetuity at an advanced annual rent of £100 to be paid direct to the Crown, not to the Sheriff of Northumberland as before 1215 King John devastated much of the border area in retaliation for Alexander II of Scotland's support of English barons and Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnwick and Morpeth were burned 1216 28 January: A charter granted by King John to Newcastle burgesses confirmed the liberties and free customs they had enjoyed in the time of his ancestors The first use of the title Mayor of Newcastle was recorded when Daniel, son of Nicholas, was called mayor King John orders destruction of Berwick-upon-Tweed
1230s 1235 King Henry III granted to the burgesses of Newcastle the right to exclude Jews 1237 Alexander II of Scotland finally renounced any claim to Northumbria and the Treaty of York legally defined the northern border of England and Scotland 1239 A drought of three months in Newcastle was followed by three months of rain leading to many deaths
1240s 1240 Hulne Priory founded. 1242 Fire destroyed the wooden bridge over the River Tyne 1244 King Henry III came to Newcastle with a large army on his way to attack Alexander II of Scotland 1247 Construction of the Black Gate at The Castle, Newcastle began 1247-1257 William Heron of Ford was Sheriff of Northumberland and governor of the Castle at Newcastle 1248 After fire destroyed the wooden bridge over the River Tyne, and much of the borough, a new stone bridge was eventually constructed 1250s 1250 Construction of the Black Gate at The Castle, Newcastle was completed Haughton Castle built. (approx date). 1260s 1265 Work started on the building of a town wall for Newcastle King Henry III licensed the collection of a toll by the burgesses of Newcastle towards the cost of building the town wall 1267 In a dispute over coal rights, Mayor Richardson of Newcastle and the rest of the corporation sailed down the Tyne to North Shields and burnt it down
1290s 1292 John Balliol, King of Scotland, did homage for his crown to King Edward I in the castle at Newcastle 1296 King Edward I passed through Newcastle with an army of some 34,000 against revolt of John Balliol 29 March: King Edward I forces arrived at Norham 30 March: English force sacked Berwick-upon-Tweed prior to defeating Scots in the Battle of Dunbar A series of sporadic but savage retaliatory Scottish attacks continued into Northumberland A Lay Subsidy Roll recorded the taxable population of those wards in Northumberland under the direct control of the King's Sheriff 1297 Scots led by William Wallace laid waste to Northumberland from Hexham up to the walls of Newcastle, burning Hexham, Corbridge, Ryton, Wylam and Prudhoe
14th century 1300s 1305 The right hand quarter of the executed William Wallace was exhibited at the gateway on the Newcastle side of the bridge over the Tyne Aydon Hall was given permission to be turned into a castle (Licence to crenellate) Bolam had a market, a fair, a castle and about 200 houses around a village green 1307