Dark Ages
After the Roman legions departed, England - indeed much of Europe - fell into decline. Law and order broke down as rival tribes and clans fought one another in the vacuum left behind. Commerce also declined and the standard of living for most was much worse then when the Romans had been in charge. Latin, the language of trade and learning was nearly forgotten; it was only kept alive by Christian monks living in isolated communities on the outskirts of Europe. No wonder, this period in history became known as the 'Dark Ages'.
This was the time of the legendary King Arthur. The exact location of Camelot has never been found. Many believe it could have been Winchester, 'Caer Gwent'. This is a nice romantic idea, especially for those of us who live here, but we don't even know for sure whether King Arthur himself existed.
The saxons came to Winchester sometime in the sixth century and in 635AD, King Cynegils brought christianity to the city. In 871, King Alfred the Great was crowned and made Winchester his capital.
Above is the coat-of-arms of Winchester.