Event Type: Local / Community

Takes Place: 25th February 2026

Time: 14:00-15.00

Venue: Royal Armouries, Leeds, and Online

Description: As Rome’s power in Britain began to wane in the fifth century, opportunities arose for rival leaders to step into the void. What many might call the ‘Anglo-Saxons’ or ‘British’ kingdoms emerged in this era marked by competing interests and brutal warfare. Who ruled over Leeds and West Yorkshire during the so-called ‘Dark Ages’? What can today’s archaeological finds tell us about the battles, campaigns, and endeavours that occurred right here beneath our feet over a thousand years ago Join Alex Harvey for his talk on the weird, wonderful, and unknown kingdoms that made up this area of England. By focusing on Leeds, West Yorkshire, and the immediate hinterlands, this archaeological and historical deep-dive will enable listeners to see these landscapes, their place-names, and their former inhabitants in a new light, and to better understand multiple aspects of Britain’s development through the post-Roman centuries.

How to book: Bookings can be made via the Royal Armouries website.

Price: £0

Email: samantha.vaughn@armouries.org.uk

Website: https://royalarmouries.org/leeds/whats-on/little-kingdoms-leeds-and-west-yorkshire-after-the-romans

Organiser: Royal Armouries

Lecturer: Alex Harvey, author of 'Little Kingdoms: An A-Z of early medieval Britain'

Region: Yorkshire and Humber