Norham Castle on the Tweed was besieged by Scottish forces more often than any other English border fortress — by David I in 1138 and 1157, by William the Lion in 1174 and 1209, and by subsequent Scottish kings. The castle's position controlling the principal ford of the lower Tweed made it the key strategic point on the eastern border. Its repeated siege illustrated both its importance and its vulnerability. The 1174 siege by William the Lion was the most serious — William actually captured William the Lion himself nearby rather than taking the castle.
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