<P> The Anglo - Saxons then gained control of the Cotswold area; but most of Somerset, Dorset and Devon (as well as Cornwall) remained in British hands until the late 7th century . According to the Anglo - Saxon Chronicle, the Saxon Cenwalh achieved a breakthrough against the British Celtic tribes, with victories at Bradford - on - Avon (in the Avon Gap in the Wansdyke) in 652, and further south at the Battle of Peonnum (at Penselwood) in 658, followed by an advance west through the Polden Hills to the River Parrett . The Saxon advance from the east seems to have been halted by battles between the British and Saxons, for example at the siege of Badon Mons Badonicus (which may mave been in the Bath district, perhaps at Solsbury Hill), or Bathampton Down . The Battle of Bedwyn was fought in 675 between Escuin, a West Saxon nobleman who had seized the throne of Queen Saxburga, and King Wulfhere of Mercia . The earliest fortification of Taunton started for King Ine of Wessex and Æthelburg, in or about the year 710 . However, according to the Anglo - Saxon Chronicle this was destroyed 12 years later . Alfred the Great refortified Exeter as a defensive burh, followed by new erections at Lydford, Halwell and Pilton, although these fortifications were small compared to burhs further east, suggesting that they were protection for the elite only . </P> <P> The English defeated a combined Cornish and Danish force at Hingston Down (near Gunnislake) in 838 . Edward the Elder built similarly at Barnstaple and Totnes . But sporadic Viking incursions continued until the Norman Conquest, including the disastrous defeat of the Devonians at the Battle of Pinhoe . In 876 King Alfred the Great trapped a Danish fleet at Arne and then drove it out; 120 ships were wrecked at Studland . Although King Alfred had lands in Cornwall, it continued to have a British king . It is generally considered that Cornwall came fully under the dominion of the English Crown in the time of Athelstan's rule, i.e. 924--939 . In the absence of any specific documentation to record this event, supporters of Cornwall's English status presume that it then became part of England . However, in 944, within a mere five years of Athelstan's death, King Edmund issued a charter styling himself "King of the English and ruler of this province of the Britons". Thus we can see that then the "province" was a territorial possession, which has long claimed a special relationship to the English Crown . </P> <P> Corfe Castle in 978 saw the murder of King Edward the Martyr, whose body was taken first to Wareham and then to Shaftesbury . Somerset played an important part in stopping the spread of the Danes in the 9th century . Viking raids took place for instance in 987 and 997 at Watchet and the Battle of Cynwit . </P> <P> King Alfred was driven to seek refuge from the Danes at Athelney before defeating them in 878 at the Battle of Ethandun, usually considered to be near Edington, Wiltshire, but possibly the village of Edington in Somerset . Alfred established a series of forts and lookout posts linked by a military road, or Herepath, to allow his army to cover Viking movements at sea . The Herepath has a characteristic form which is familiar on the Quantocks: a regulation 20 m wide track between avenues of trees growing from hedge laying embankments . A peace treaty with the Danes was signed at Wedmore and the Danish king Guthrum the Old was baptised at Aller . Burhs (fortified places) had been set up by 919, such as Lyng . The Alfred Jewel, an object about 2.5 - inch (64 mm) long, made of filigree gold, cloisonné - enamelled and with a rock crystal covering, was found in 1693 at Petherton Park, North Petherton . This is believed to have been owned by King Alfred . Monasteries and minster churches were set up all over Somerset, with daughter churches of the minsters in manors . There was a royal palace at Cheddar, which was used at times in the 10th century to host the Witenagemot . </P>

Map of the south west coast of england