| Who were the Saxons and Angles? |
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The Saxons were a tribe who originally came from the area of current northern Germany. They had invaded
Britain during the time of Roman occupation. After the Romans left in 410AD the Saxons
decided to settle in Britain. Similarly the Angles came from the area of northern Germany and
Denmark.
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| Where did they settle? |
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When the Saxons invaded Britain they had to defeat the native Britons. This is the era
of King Arthur who, legend states, defended Britain against the invaders. The Saxons
managed to defeat the Britons and take control of Britain. The Saxons
settled mainly in the south of Britain.
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| What are Saxon Shore Forts? |
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The Romans built a series of forts along the east and south coasts of Britain
to protect the country against invasion from the Saxons.
These forts have become known as 'Saxon Shore Forts' because a document from the
time refers to the commander of the forts as the 'Count of the Saxon Shore'.
Generally these forts were large rectangular enclosures surrounded by a high
stone wall and ditches. Most of these forts have been destroyed over the
years by erosion but some remain. A good example is Porchester Castle.
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| Porchester Castle |
