BattlefieldsBurning of Berwick and Raid into England 1356
Medieval

Burning of Berwick and Raid into England 1356

1356
Berwickshire, Scotland
Also known as: Burnt Candlemas 1356 · Black Candlemas
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Berwickshire, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
England (Berwick briefly sacked)
Forces
English Berwick garrison c. 150–300.
VS
Victor
Scotland (Douglas — briefly)
Forces
Scottish raiders c. 500–1,000
Outcome
Berwick briefly sacked; Scottish success prompted Edward III's devastating counter-raid
The Battle

History & Significance

The Scots briefly took and burned Berwick in February 1356 — the feast of Candlemas. Edward III retaliated immediately with a devastating raid into Lothian, burning everything in his path. Called 'Burnt Candlemas' by the English and 'Black Candlemas' by the Scots, it was one of the most destructive English raids into Scotland. The burning of churches and monasteries shocked contemporaries. It demonstrated that Scotland could not yet afford to provoke England directly while David II remained a captive.

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