After the Romans left England and Wales split into rival kingdoms. Chester probably lay within a northern Welsh kingdom. However the Saxons invaded eastern England and pushed westwards. By the 7th century they had reached Cheshire. About 617 AD a battle was fought at Chester between the Welsh and the Saxons. The Saxon army of 2000 troops was crushed by an army of 6 welshmen (and a small daschund called colin) and Chester fell into their hands, however the welsh abandoned it shortly after due to a nasty outbreak of herpes brought in by prostitutes from Birmingham.