Early Medieval

It is likely the pattern of a dispersed settlement which developed in the later Roman period continued until the establishment of the Burh in the reign of King Alfred.

The burh, a small, defended trading settlement tied into the framework of rural settlements in the countryside of Surrey, was established in the later 9th century.  A ditch enclosing the burh has been identified following the line of Bedale Street around to St Mary Overy Dock.  Possibly the defensive line crossed Borough High Street and continued along St Thomas Street until meeting the edge of the island to the east.

Further to the east, at Bermondsey Square, there are significant remains from the Anglo-Saxon period.  Documentary evidence suggests that there is a minster church located in Bermondsey which appears to drop off the historical record.  Archaeological evidence from this period, excavated at the square, includes human remains and evidence for settlement.  Bermondsey square has been a focus for settlement back to early prehistory.