Editing Cædwalla (section)

== West Saxon territory in the 680s ==
[[Image:British seventh century kingdoms.svg|thumb|right|200px|The kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Britain]] in the late 7th century.]]

In the late 7th century, the West Saxons occupied an area in the west of southern England, though the exact boundaries are difficult to define.<ref name=Yorke_135>For a discussion of 7th century West Saxon expansion, see {{Harvnb|Yorke|1990|pp=135–138}}.</ref> To their west was the native British kingdom of [[Dumnonia]], in what is now [[Devon]] and [[Cornwall]]. To the north were the [[Mercia]]ns, whose king, [[Wulfhere of Mercia|Wulfhere]], had dominated southern England during his reign. In 674 he was succeeded by his brother, [[Æthelred of Mercia|Æthelred]], who was less militarily active than Wulfhere had been along the frontier with Wessex, though the West Saxons did not recover the territorial gains Wulfhere had made.<ref name=Kirby_115>{{Harvnb|Kirby|1992|pp=115–116}}.</ref> To the southeast was the kingdom of the [[South Saxons]], in what is now Sussex; and to the east were the [[Kingdom of Essex|East Saxons]], who controlled [[London]].<ref name=Blair_RBaEE_204>The general topography of the 7th century kingdoms is given in map form in {{Harvnb|Hunter Blair|1966|p=209}}.</ref>

Not all the locations named in the ''Chronicle'' can be identified, but it is apparent that the West Saxons were fighting in north [[Somerset]], south [[Gloucestershire]], and north [[Wiltshire]], against both British and Mercian opposition. To the west and south, evidence of the extent of West Saxon influence is provided by the fact that [[Cenwalh of Wessex|Cenwalh]], who reigned from 642 to 673, is remembered as the first Saxon patron of [[Sherborne Abbey]], in [[Dorset]]; similarly, [[Centwine of Wessex|Centwine]] (676–685) is the first Saxon patron of [[Glastonbury Abbey]], in Somerset. Evidently, these monasteries were in West Saxon territory by then. [[Exeter]], to the west, in Devon, was under West Saxon control by 680, since [[Boniface]] was educated there at about that time.<ref name=Yorke_135 />