Battlefields›Capture of William the Lion at Alnwick 1174
Medieval

Capture of William the Lion at Alnwick 1174

1174
Northumberland, England
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Northumberland, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Kingdom of Scotland
VS
Victor
Kingdom of England
Forces involved

Approximately 400 mounted knights (England, commanded by Ranulf de Glanvill)

approximately 60 bodyguards, mostly Flemish mercenaries (Scotland, led by William the Lion)

Outcome
Decisive English victory; William the Lion, King of Scotland, was captured after his horse was killed beneath him during the fighting, leading to the Treaty of Falaise.
The Battle

History & Significance

Capture of William the Lion at Alnwick 1174 was a medieval skirmish, fought at Northumberland, England in 1174. Kingdom of England prevailed over Kingdom of Scotland. Decisive English victory; William the Lion, King of Scotland, was captured after his horse was killed beneath him during the fighting, leading to the Treaty of Falaise.

Confirmed battlefield location
The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Capture of William the Lion at Alnwick 1174 lies on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone, argillaceous rocks and subordinate sandstone, interbedded.

Casualties & Losses
  • English losses unknown; all of William the Lion's bodyguards were either killed or captured
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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Overview
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Monuments
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Battlefields
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Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
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Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
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Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
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Literature
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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Capture of William the Lion at Alnwick 1174

Alnwick Abbey
Alnwick Abbey
Scheduled monument · ~0.2 mi

Alnwick Abbey is a Premonstratensian monastery founded in 1147 by Eustace FitzJohn in Northumberland, situated in the valley of the River Aln near the market town of Alnwick. The abbey followed the rule of the Premonstratensian order, which combined monastic and canonical traditions, and became o…

Les Hull / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
St Mary's Chantry House
St Mary's Chantry House
Scheduled monument · ~0.3 mi

St Mary's Chantry House is a late medieval structure located in Northumberland, England. The building dates from the fifteenth or sixteenth century and served as a chantry establishment, functioning as a residence and chapel where priests would say masses for the souls of the dead, a common pract…

Mick Knapton / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Lion Bridge
Lion Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~0.4 mi

Lion Bridge is a Grade II* listed stone bridge crossing the River Tyne near Corbridge in Northumberland, constructed in the eighteenth century as part of the regional transport network. The bridge is distinguished by its decorative stone lions positioned at each end, which serve as distinctive ar…

Tim Felce (Airwolfhound) / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Bondgate Tower
Bondgate Tower
Scheduled monument · ~0.6 mi

Bondgate Tower is a fourteenth-century fortified gatehouse forming part of the medieval defences of Alnwick. The structure comprises a substantial stone tower which originally served as a controlled entrance point to the town, reflecting the defensive requirements of the Anglo-Scottish border reg…

Mariegriffiths at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
St Leonard's Hospital, Alnwick
St Leonard's Hospital, Alnwick
Scheduled monument · ~0.7 mi

St Leonard's Hospital, Alnwick is a medieval charitable institution located in Northumberland. Founded in the 12th century, the hospital served as an almshouse providing care and shelter for the poor and infirm. The surviving remains include fragments of stone walls and foundations that reflect t…

Russel Wills / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Hulne Priory
Hulne Priory
Scheduled monument · ~1.6 mi

Hulne Priory is a Carmelite friary situated in the Hulne Park estate near Alnwick in Northumberland. Founded in the fourteenth century, it represents one of the most northerly establishments of the Carmelite order in medieval England. The surviving remains include substantial stone walls and arch…

Les Hull / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Camp on Alnwick Moor
Scheduled monument · ~2.2 miles
Defended settlement, 620m SSW of West Brizlee
Scheduled monument · ~2.4 miles
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