BattlefieldsSiege of Carlisle Castle 1216
Medieval

Siege of Carlisle Castle 1216

1216
Cumbria, England
Also known as: Carlisle 1216 · Alexander II takes Carlisle 1216
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Cumbria, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
English garrison
Forces
English: Carlisle garrison
VS
Victor
Alexander II of Scotland
Forces
Scottish: Alexander II with Scottish army
Outcome
Carlisle submitted to Alexander II as he marched south to support the rebel barons and Louis of France
The Battle

History & Significance

During the great crisis of 1216, Scotland joined the baronial revolt against John and then his young son Henry III. Alexander II advanced south and took Carlisle. The city did not return permanently to English hands until the peace settlement of 1217. The episode revealed how tenuous English control of the north could be.

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