Conversion to Christianity

686 AD

The Isle of Wight was one of the last parts of England to be converted to Christianity. In 686 AD, Caedwalla, King of Wessex, invaded the island and attempted to kill or expel the entire pagan population, replacing them with Christian settlers. The monk Wilfrid was given permission by Caedwalla to evangelise the surviving inhabitants, and the island was brought into the Christian fold. This violent conversion is recorded by Bede in his Ecclesiastical History and marks a turning point in the island's history. The island's churches, many of which have Norman or early medieval fabric, are built on sites that may have been sacred long before Christianity arrived. The event is significant as the last large-scale forced conversion in English history.