Medieval London (jan 1, 400 – jan 1, 1450)

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In the 4th century, the Roman Empire began to disintegrate. In the year 410 AD. C., the Roman army had abandoned Britain. Londinium was abandoned. For the next 200 years, the great Roman city lay in ruins.

In the 7th century, Saxon settlers built a new market town to the west of the Roman town, which they called Lundenwic.

In the 9th century, the Vikings attacked London. The Saxons abandoned Lundewic and built a new city along the river, within the Roman walls. There were new streets with houses, workshops and churches.

In the 1050s, the Saxon King Edward the Confessor built a royal palace and abbey at Westminster. Since then, Westminster has been the center of government.

In 1066, the Normans invaded England. To control London, they built a castle known as the Tower of London. In 1087, they began building a new cathedral in St. Paul's Basilica.

In the late Middle Ages (1100-1450), London became the largest and richest city in Britain.

In 1300, more than 80,000 people lived in London. Rich merchants built large stone houses. The poorest lived in wooden frame houses. The houses sometimes had three stories. London had begun to grow upwards. In the poorest areas of the city, the houses were crowded together and there was always the danger of fire.

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