The seventh and early eighth centuries were a time of fundamental change for the English, in which conversion to Christianity was only one element.  Influences from Ireland, Gaul and the Mediterranean operated on the warlike, aristocratic society of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to create a rich and innovative culture.  During the few generations between the 660s and the 730s, Britain produced works of learning, literature and art which were pre-eminent in western Europe.  These changes can be approached through a well-integrated group of original sources, mainly but not exclusively from the golden age of Northumbria, which comprise the set texts, notably the historical works of the Venerable Bede.  Undergraduates can also study the spectacular manuscript illumination, metalwork and sculpture of the era.  The Paper is therefore an introduction both to the aristocratic society, learning and culture of early England, and to the genesis of English historical writing.