▁[...] " ▁To ▁counter ▁such ▁attacks , ▁ Æ th el b ald , ▁who ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁throne ▁in ▁ 7 1 6 , ▁was ▁once ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁built ▁Wat ' s ▁Dy ke , ▁an ▁earth work ▁bar rier ▁in ▁northern ▁Wales ; ▁but ▁this ▁now ▁seems ▁unlikely , ▁since ▁an ▁exc av ation ▁of ▁the ▁Dy ke ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁found ▁char co al ▁from ▁a ▁hear th ▁which ▁was ▁radi oc ar bon - dated ▁to ▁some ▁time ▁between ▁ 4 1 1 ▁and ▁ 5 6 1 . ▁ ▁Some ▁surv iving ▁char ters ▁from ▁Co en red ' s ▁reign ▁reve al ▁him ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁over l ord ▁of ▁the ▁East ▁Sax on ▁r ul ers . ▁Off a , ▁an ▁East ▁Sax on ▁king , ▁made ▁a ▁grant ▁in ▁the ▁territory ▁of ▁the ▁H w ic ce ▁( to ▁which ▁he ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁connected ▁by ▁a ▁marriage ▁of ▁his ▁father , ▁S ige he ard ) ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁confirmed ▁by ▁Co en red . ▁In ▁the ▁char ter , ▁Co en red ▁refers ▁to ▁Off a ▁as ▁his ▁under king . ▁Co en red ▁and ▁his ▁successor ▁also ▁confirmed ▁gr ants ▁to ▁Wald here , ▁the ▁Bishop ▁of ▁London , ▁evidence ▁that ▁London ▁was ▁firm ly ▁under ▁Mer cian ▁over l ord ship . ▁Later ▁Mer cian ▁k ings ▁treated ▁London ▁as ▁their ▁direct ▁possession , ▁rather ▁than ▁as ▁a ▁province ▁ruled ▁by ▁an ▁under king , ▁but