927 TO 2027
Birth of England Project
Eleven hundred years since one king brought the English people together for the first time in a unified country.
Our Charity is proud to support the Birth of England Project, which is the first organisation in England to organise celebrations for England’s 1100th Anniversary on 12th July 2027
The Birth of England
During the summer of 927 AD, King Æthelstan defeated in battle the Irish Norse pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of York. In doing so, he took control of the last Viking kingdom in England.
Later, on 12th July 927, near Eamont in Cumbria, King Æthelstan met with several Celtic kings across Britain. Also at this meeting was the English Lord of Bamburgh and other leaders from Northumbria, all of whom submitted to Æthelstan. King Æthelstan had finally brought the kingdom of Northumbria under his control, and in doing so, he was the first person to create the ‘kingdom of the English’, the forerunner to modern England.
On that day in 927, Æthelstan had, in effect, created one nation for all the English people, and they were for the first time united under one ruler. From that point forward, King Æthelstan was no longer just King of the Anglo-Saxons; he became REX ANGLORUM, King of the English.
It was no error on Æthelstan’s part that he used the word Anglorum rather than Saxonum. He clearly wished to get away from the idea that this unification of the English people represented a Wessex take-over. The Northumbrian people had for several centuries described themselves as Anglians, and Æthelstan was mindful of their sensibilities regarding a conquest by Wessex. He was truly a man who understood all his people and he wanted more than anything to unify the English people under an acceptable reign.
In a BBC Poll in 2021 Æthelstan was voted England’s greatest monarch. Whatever the motivation of those voters in 2021 the historical truth is undeniable, Æthelstan created England.
So, 12th of July is England’s birthday, and in 2027 England will be 1100 years old. That makes England one of the oldest countries in the world and we believe this is worth celebrating. Join us in that celebration.
You can read more about our Project Aims here.
THE PROOF IN SILVER
Rex Totius Britanniae
After 927, Æthelstan's coins began to carry a new inscription: REX TO BRIT, king of all Britain. No English king had claimed that title before him. A coin was struck, carried and spent right across the realm, which makes it one of the clearest signs historians have that his rule was recognised, not just declared.
Project Aims
The primary aim of our project is to remember and celebrate the unification of England under one single monarch: Æthelstan, the first King of all England. In 2027 England will be 1100 years old and we want to make that year a special celebration of all things English.
Politics could be described as the interaction between the ideal and the practical, between the grand designs to improve life and the personal, often petty, squabbles of those trying to enact the grand design. Too often the former is broken by the latter.
The people of England can count themselves fortunate, because almost 1100 years ago the grand design succeeded despite the personal squabbles. The idea of a home for the English people was turned into reality, and there emerged an English leader who was able to defend our ancestors against their enemies.
In 927AD the unification of the English nation was completed, for the first time in history all the English people then lived under one king, with one legal system: England was born.
We believe that everyone in England, and indeed beyond our country, deserves to hear the story of how our nation came to be. Our project will show how the early English people, threatened by invaders found a leader in Alfred, King of Wessex and the fightback began. Yet, the struggle to create a homeland and a unified kingdom for the English people took many years. Alfred’s son and daughter took-up the struggle after his death, but it was not until Alfred’s oldest grandson, Æthelstan, came to the throne, that the struggle to unify the English people was successful.
So, it may seem an obvious thing to say, but England was created by the English people. A name for our country was first recorded in 10th century, and then it was known as ‘Englaland’, the land of the Angles or English. Yet the first recorded use of the term English (in Latin it is ‘Anglorum’), was three centuries earlier. So, when someone asks you the question: which came first the people or the country? It was definitely the English people.
Our English ancestors wanted to have a secure homeland for all those people who spoke their language: English. This is why our ancestors fought so hard to create a unified kingdom and a country. At the time, over 1100 years ago, the English language was different from the English we speak today (it is known as Old English) but many of the words we use today would be recognisable in Old English.
Regardless of whether you identify yourself as English, if you live in England you benefit from the struggles of our early English ancestors. It is they who created the place we call England, and it is to them that we give thanks for creating a country that gives us the freedom to discuss and celebrate our history.
A video introduction to England’s first King
In this half-hour interview Cambridge Professor of early medieval history David Woodman gives an introduction to Æthelstan, England’s first king. Professor Woodman has recently published the critically acclaimed book: The First King of England: Æthelstan and the Birth of a Kingdom, and gives a brief overview of the book in this interview. Many former kings ruled parts of Britain, such as Wessex, Mercia, and Northumbria, but Æthelstan was the first to rule all three. In this interview Professor Woodman expounds the historical significance of Æthelstan’s reign, and encourages us all to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of this momentous occasion in the biggest possible way.
The campaign films
THE CENTREPIECE
Brougham Hall, July 2027
The Festival Weekend is where the anniversary comes together. The venue is secured, and planning is already underway.
Brougham Hall is just outside Penrith in Cumbria, less than a mile from the ‘eamotum’, as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states. This is where the kings of Britain met Æthelstan in 927. Brougham is close to this ‘eamotum’ or ‘meeting of the waters’, and the confluence of the rivers Eamont and Lowther would have been visible from Brougham.
The Festival Weekend opens on the Friday evening at St Andrew’s Church, Penrith, then runs across two days at Brougham Hall. Both days at Brougham Hall, are split into a morning and an afternoon session, as the entertainments will be the same over both sessions. Tickets are sold per session, with history, live music and poetry throughout, alongside performances marking the anniversary itself.
The Story So Far
2021
Origin of the Project
The spark that ignited the idea of this project was an article in May 2009 edition of the BBC History magazine. When I saw this article I thought, “2027, if I’m still here, I should do something to celebrate the 1100th Anniversary of England’s unification”. Now, in all fairness, this idea took a long time to come to fruition, for it wasn’t until I joined the Royal Society of St. George that I began to publicise my idea. I organised an Athelstan appreciation day in Malmesbury in 2019, and after that I began to develop the idea of the 1100th Anniversary, to see whether this resonated with others of a similar mind. Fortunately at some point the idea did catch-on and so the Birth of England Project was created in 2021.
In the article Professor Michael Wood expanded on his theory that it was the meeting near Penrith in the summer of 927 that was crucial in creation of an English state. The English nation finally were united under one king, as one continental poet stated, “this completed England”.
2023
Birth of England Project Launch
On February 17th 2023 the Birth of England Project was officially launched at All Saints Church in Kingston Upon Thames. This was a fitting location for the event since it was here that Æthelstan was crowned king in 925AD. Æthelstan was the first of the Anglo-Saxon kings to wear a crown. His ancestors, including his grandfather Alfred the Great wore a helmet at their ascension to the throne, however the new coronation ceremony was a fitting tribute to the greatly enlarged territory over which Æthelstan ruled.
2024
Athelstan 1100 Celebrations at Malmesbury
Over the summer of 2024 a wide range of events commemorating the 1100th anniversary of Athelstan’s accession to the throne in 924 were organised by the people of Malmesbury, where Athelstan is buried. Events included talks by eminent historians Tom Holland and Michael Wood, an archaeological dig, a re-enactment, and a host of other events that drew around 8000 visitors to Malmesbury over the summer. The Athelstan Museum also held an Anglo-Saxon exhibition that included the incredible ‘Abingdon Sword’, which was loaned by the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
During this period the ‘Athelstan Pilgrim way’ was also opened. This is a walk that includes 36 different churches and finishes at Kingston Upon Thames. See website below.
2025
Celebrations at Kingston Upon Thames
Over the summer of 2025 a range of events commemorating the 1100th anniversary of Athelstan’s coronation in 925 were organised by the Kingston Upon Thames Council. This is where Athelstan was crowned King in 925AD, although he was not yet king of England, since York was still under Danish rule. Events included a historical talk from renowned historian Tom Holland, a river festival and carnival, and the opening of the Athelstan Pilgrimage way all the way to Kingston from Malmesbury. Celebrations also included the unveiling of the ‘King Athelstan’ train at Kingston Railway Station.
927 to 2027
How old is England?
England’s age is counted from 12th July 927, when the kings of Britain met Æthelstan at Eamont, near Penrith, and swore peace with the first king of all the English. On 12th July 2027 England turns 1100.
England’s age today
1,099years and 102 days
Until England turns 1100
- days
- 262
- hours
- 20
- minutes
- 43
- seconds
- 46
The campaign and the festival
When is the festival weekend?
Friday 9th to Sunday 11th July 2027. The Festival Weekend opens with an evening at St Andrew’s Church, Penrith, followed by two days at Brougham Hall.
Be part of it
Support our Project
We already have some events planned and there will be more to follow. Details for 2027 can be found here: 2027.