when did christianity come to england

Christianity first arrived in England during Roman times, with evidence of Christian presence from at least the 3rd century AD. However, it largely diminished after the Roman withdrawal and the arrival of pagan Anglo-Saxons. The significant reintroduction of Christianity to Anglo-Saxon England is credited to the Gregorian Mission sent by Pope Gregory the Great in 597 AD. This mission, led by St. Augustine, converted King Æthelberht of Kent, whose wife was already Christian, and established a Christian foothold primarily in Kent. Christianisation then gradually expanded to other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms through subsequent missionary efforts and royal conversions, becoming more widespread by the 7th century. Despite some reversion to paganism during this period, by the late 7th century, most of England was Christian in name. The spread continued with influence from both Roman and Irish missionaries, completing the Christianisation process over the following centuries.