Battle of Otterburn 1388
Who Fought
History & Significance
The Battle of Otterburn, also known as the Battle of Chevy Chase, took place according to Scottish sources on 5 August 1388, or 19 August according to English sources, as part of the continuing border skirmishes between the Scots and English.
The Scottish nobles James, 2nd Earl of Douglas and John Dunbar, Earl of Moray led their army toward Durham while Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas at the time Lord of Galloway, and Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, at the time Earl of Fife, coordinated a simultaneous attack on Carlisle Castle. It was timed to take advantage of divisions on the English side between Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland who had just taken over defence of the border and partly in revenge for King Richard II's invasion of Scotland three years previously.
The Scots fielded two armies, with Archibald Douglas's force and their baggage train heading to attack Carlisle, while another force under the Earl of Douglas and Earl of Moray ravaged the countryside around Durham and Newcastle. Northumberland sent his two sons Harry Hotspur and Sir Ralph Percy to engage while he stayed at Alnwick to cut off the Scottish retreat.
Froissart says that the first fighting included a meeting of the Earl of Douglas and Henry Percy in hand-to-hand combat, in which Percy's pennon was captured. The Earl of Douglas then moved off, destroying the castle at Ponteland and besieging Otterburn Castle (now Otterburn Tower). Percy made a surprise attack on Douglas's encampment in the late afternoon, but first encountered the Earl's serving men, giving the bulk of the forces time to muster and attack them on their flank.
James Douglas led the left wing, while Dunbar led the right. Hotspur's men, having ridden up from Newcastle, were tired and disorganized as they made their way onto the field. Hotspur was so overly confident that he attacked the Scots while the rest of his force was still marching up through Otterburn.
During the battle on a moonlit night Douglas was killed; his death had no influence on the outcome of the battle and went unnoticed until much later. The Percys were both captured. Sir John Montgomery, 9th of Eaglesham, captured Henry Percy (later using the ransom to build Polnoon Castle) with the remaining English force retreating to Newcastle. Despite Percy's force having an estimated three to one advantage over the Scots, Froissart records 1,040 English were captured and 1,860 killed whereas 200 Scots were captured and 100 were killed. The Westminster Chronicle estimates Scottish casualties at around 500.
Some have suggested that Hotspur's rashness and eagerness to engage the Scots and the added tiredness of the English army after its long march north, were the reasons for the English defeat, despite having a three to one advantage in numbers. It is possible that the reasons for this defeat may have been more complex, however.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Otterburn 1388 lies on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.
- Kingdom of England: 2,800+ killed or captured
- Kingdom of Scotland: 100 or 500
This battlefield is listed on the Register of Historic Battlefields — a national designation identifying Britain's most significant battle sites for protection and further research. Reference: NHLE 1000029.
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- Battle of Otterburn 1388 · Historic England
- Battle of Otterburn · Wikidata
- Battle_of_Otterburn · Wikipedia
- Battle of Otterburn · BritishBattles.com
- Battle of Otterburn · Battlefields Trust