Siege of Wark Castle 1138
Who Fought
Scottish forces under David I besieged an English garrison at Wark on Tweed Castle. Townsmen joined the garrison during the later stages of the siege. Two Scottish barons were assigned to maintain the blockade during David's absence.
History & Significance
The siege of Wark is a 1138 siege of Wark on Tweed Castle (Wark castle) conducted from May–November by Scottish forces under David I against the defending English garrison. The siege was part of a campaign launched by David in support of his niece, the Empress Matilda, and her claim to the English throne over that of Stephen of Blois who had seized the throne in 1135. The invasion followed a similar campaign in 1136 when David had succeeded in gaining control of Cumberland, and raids launched in 1137 and earlier in 1138.
Despite David's defeat at the battle of the Standard in August 1138, the siege continued and the castle fell in November after the abbot of Rievaulx negotiated a surrender allowing the starved defenders to leave honourably with their arms. The fall of Wark contributed to Stephen being forced to cede control of Northumberland to David in 1139. Cumberland and Northumberland would both remain under Scottish control until after David's death in 1153.
While Henry I ruled England relations between the England and Scotland had been peaceful. David I of Scotland had a good personal relationship with Henry and fully supported Henry's intention to have his daughter, the Empress Matilda, named as his heir. David was Matilda's maternal uncle and would become one of her most powerful supporters. Following Henry's death in 1135 his nephew, Stephen of Blois, seized the throne. David responded by seizing Cumberland and Northumberland.
A treaty was signed in February 1136 by which David retained Cumberland, relinquished lands in Northumberland, and had his son, another Henry, recognised as lord of Huntingdon, for which he did homage to Stephen. Stephen also promised to address Henry's claim to Northumberland. The peace did not last and in 1137 and early 1138, David had launched raids into England planned to coincide with rebellions in southern England by Matilda's supporters. Wark was besieged during this time for three weeks, starting on 10 January. After this, David let loose his army to raid and pillage through Northumberland, before being driven back by the English under Count Waleran by mid February. Stephen responded in kind with a raid upon coastal Lothian. In contrast to the campaigns of 1136 and 1137, no attempt was made to contact David or attempt diplomacy. Stephen then returned to England so abruptly that the chronicler John of Hexham speculated he may have doubted the loyalty of some within his army.
After Easter 1138 there was a series of rebellions against Stephen across the west of England, with the key defector being Robert of Gloucester, who renounced his fealty to Stephen and declared his support for Matilda's claim to the throne. One defector was Eustace fitz John who reached David as the King was again raiding into England. Eustace's brother, William fitz John, joined Robert's southern campaign, providing a link between the two forces. The Gesta Stephani mentions a letter sent by Matilda to David seeking his support. David responded by reopening his campaign in Northumberland on 8 April. David's army had retreated to Roxburgh while Stephen raided Lothian and now crossed the border with the intention of devastating coastal Northumberland and County Durham.
The ground they fought on
The site of Siege of Wark Castle 1138 lies on Inverclyde Group, bedrock that formed in the Osagean. The rock here is sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.
One of the most striking moments of the siege came when the starved garrison, reinforced by local townsmen, launched a bold sally that succeeded in destroying much of the Scottish siege equipment arrayed against them. Despite this defiance, David I pressed on with his blockade, and it was only the mediation of the abbot of Rievaulx that eventually brought the siege to its conclusion, with the exhausted defenders permitted to march out honourably, bearing their arms, in November 1138.
- Casualties among the Scottish attackers were described as high during the initial assault phase. The garrison was ultimately starved into submission.
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