BattlefieldsDouglas Burning of Berwick During Raid 1318
Medieval

Douglas Burning of Berwick During Raid 1318

1318
Berwickshire, Scotland
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Berwickshire, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
England
Forces
English garrison of Berwick
VS
Victor
Scotland
Forces
Douglas and Bruce commanding Scottish besieging and assault forces
Outcome
Berwick captured by Bruce after preliminary Douglas raids; town returned to Scottish control after 22 years; principal Scottish east-coast port recovered
The Battle

History & Significance

Prior to Bruce's formal siege and capture of Berwick in April 1318, Douglas conducted preliminary raids that burned outer areas and weakened English resupply capability. Bruce then took the town by assault on 2 April 1318, restoring the most important border town to Scottish control for the first time since 1296. The fall of Berwick was Bruce's greatest territorial recovery and gave Scotland its main east-coast port and trading centre.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Berwickshire

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Berwickshire