Robert Bruce besieged Norham Castle in 1319 as part of his comprehensive campaign to reduce English border fortresses and demonstrate that England could not protect its northern March. Norham had held against Scottish attack for over a century before falling briefly in this siege — one of the few times in its medieval history it was taken. The loss of Norham gave Bruce control of the key Tweed ford and exposed Northumberland to deeper raiding. The castle was recovered by England shortly after but its temporary fall revealed the fragility of border defence.
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 this battlefield