The Saxons in Norfolk
After the fall of Roman Britain in the 5th century, waves of Anglo-Saxon settlers from northern Germany and southern Denmark arrived on England’s eastern shores. Norfolk — with its broad river valleys and fertile land — became one of the first strongholds of these new arrivals. By the 6th century, the region formed the heart of the Kingdom of East Anglia, ruled by Saxon kings whose burial grounds, such as the royal cemetery at Sutton Hoo, still echo their power and craftsmanship.
Across Norfolk, traces of Saxon life remain scattered beneath the soil — brooches, buckles, and weapons marking the graves of early settlers who lived, farmed, and fought along the Wensum and Yare. Their artistry in metalwork, from cruciform and saucer brooches to finely inlaid fittings, reflects a society in transition: pagan yet proud, rooted in the old Germanic world yet laying the foundations for medieval England.
Today, every Saxon find in Norfolk helps illuminate the dawn of English history — a time when new kingdoms rose from the ashes of Rome, and the first seeds of England were sown.
