477AD. Aella came in three ceols (Keels) with his three sons Cymen, Wlenking and Cissa. They Landed on the Sussex coast possibly at Cymensor at a place now beneath the sea. and were contested from the beginning by the Britons, but managed to kill many and drive them into the forest of Andreswold.
The Anglo Saxon Chronicles give two more dates for Aella.
485AD Aella and one of his sons fought the Britons near the margins of Mearcred’s Burn.
In 491AD. Aella then attacked the fortified town of Andredes-Ceaster (Possibly the Roman fort of Anderitum) on the edge of the forest. As the Saxons attempted to scale the walls, a force of Britons came out of the forest and attacked them from the rear. Three times they drove them off but three times they came back again and as night fell with the town still not taken the opposing forces camped within sight of each other. After being attacked again the next morning Ælla split his force in two and while one half drove the Britons into the forest, the other half scaled the walls, massacred everyone inside and destroyed the town.
Piece by piece Aella who was the first Bretwalda (Saxon overlord) extended his hold on the land until the Saxon Kingdom of Sussex was established and then seems to have been practically destroyed.
498AD. Aella as Bretwalda probably led the combined Saxon force that attacked the Britons at Mons Badonicus near Bath. The Saxons were beaten in the battle and South Saxons must have suffered massive casualties as there is very little evidence of them in the records until the seventh century and none of the later kings claim descent from Aella.
