BattlefieldsNorham Castle Garrison Skirmish 1523
Tudor

Norham Castle Garrison Skirmish 1523

1523
England
Era
Tudor
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Scottish raiders
Forces
Scottish raiding party of 200 to 300 border horsemen
VS
Victor
English garrison
Forces
Norham garrison of approximately 100 men under the castle keeper
Outcome
Scottish raiders repulsed from Norham; garrison held the castle; minor casualties on both sides; raiding party withdrew north of the Tweed.
The Battle

History & Significance

The garrison of Norham Castle, the Bishop of Durham's fortress on the Tweed commanding the most important ford into Scotland, fought off a Scottish border incursion in 1523. Norham was the most important English border castle after Berwick — it guarded the Tweed crossing at Norham Ford and served as the eastern anchor of English march defences. The 1523 skirmish was one of many small-scale engagements at and around Norham that punctuated the intervals between major invasions. The castle had been rebuilt and strengthened after the 1513 Flodden campaign when James IV's artillery had breached its walls.

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