BattlefieldsBattle of Byland Follow-up — Scottish Occupation of Rievaulx Area 1322
Medieval

Battle of Byland Follow-up — Scottish Occupation of Rievaulx Area 1322

1322
North Yorkshire, England
Also known as: Rievaulx plundered 1322 · Scots at Rievaulx after Byland
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
North Yorkshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Rievaulx Abbey community / Edward II
Forces
English defenders/communities minimal
VS
Victor
Scots (Bruce)
Forces
Scots c. 2,000–3,000
Outcome
Scots occupied Rievaulx; Edward II fled barely ahead of them; royal household goods and correspondence captured; abbey ransomed
The Battle

History & Significance

In the days after the Battle of Byland, Scottish forces ranged freely through the North Riding. Edward II fled from Rievaulx Abbey — where he had been sheltering — barely ahead of Bruce's troops. His correspondence was captured, exposing his plans. Rievaulx Abbey, one of the greatest Cistercian houses in England, was ransomed. The episode was one of the most humiliating of Edward II's reign — the king of England pursued from a monastery by his Scottish cousin — and contributed to the baronial revolt that led to his deposition in 1327.

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