Morpeth, the principal market town of central Northumberland, was burned by Scottish raiders in 1315 as part of the systematic campaign to destroy the economic base of northern England following Bannockburn. The castle held out but the town itself was extensively damaged. Morpeth was burned multiple times during the Wars of Independence — its position in the Wansbeck valley made it a natural target for raids moving south from the border.
Scottish raiders: c. 500–1,500. English townspeople/militia: c. 300–800.
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