Scots Raid on Hexham, 1311

Who Fought

History & Significance

Lanercost Priory was founded by Robert de Vaux between 1165 and 1174, the most likely date being 1169, to house Augustinian canons. The priory is situated in the village of Lanercost, Cumbria, England, within sight of Naworth Castle, with which it had close connections. The medieval buildings used many convenient Roman stones from the nearby Hadrian's Wall.

Apart from the church, the priory buildings are now ruins, but parts of the church are intact and remain in use. It is now open to the public and in the guardianship of English Heritage.

The Lanercost Chronicle, a thirteenth-century history of England and the Wars of Scottish Independence, was compiled by the monks of the priory.

The foundation date was traditionally 1169, but can only be dated definitely between 1165 and 1174 on the evidence of charters. The dedication is to Mary Magdalene, unusual in the region.

It would seem the arrangements for founding the priory were well advanced by the time of the foundation charter, as opposed to the more gradual process at Wetheral and St Bees priories. Robert de Vaux gave the land of Lanercost "between the ancient wall and the Irthing and between Burth and Poltros, the vill of Walton by stated bounds, the church of that vill with the chapel of 'Treverman,' the churches of Irthington, Brampton, Carlaton and Farlam". The charter of foundation states that the benefaction was made for the sake of Henry II, and for the health of the souls of his father Hubert and his mother Grace.

Soon after the foundation of the house, Robert de Vaux granted to the canons the right of free election, so that when the lord prior died the person on whom the choice of the canons or the greater part of them fell should be elected in his place.

The bulk of the church building dates from the late 13th century, though there is evidence of earlier work. The priory buildings were constructed, at least in part, from stones derived from the nearby Hadrian's Wall, including a number of Roman inscriptions that were built into its fabric.

The proximity to Scotland inevitably had an effect on the fortunes of the priory, and it was a target of Scots attacks in retaliation for English raids. This became acute after the outbreak of the Wars of Scottish Independence. In 1296 the Scottish army encamped at Lanercost after burning Hexham priory and Lambley nunnery. The Scots were interrupted before the damage could become great, and they retreated through Nicolforest, having burnt some houses of the monastery but not the church. Similar depredations under Wallace continued the next year and led to calls for reprisals from the English.

The ground they fought on

The site of Scots Raid on Hexham, 1311 lies on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduled Monuments near Scots Raid on Hexham, 1311

Hexham Manor Office (or gaol)

Scheduled monument · ~0.1 mi

Hexham Manor Office is a Georgian building of the mid-eighteenth century located in Hexham, Northumberland, and serves as a notable example of civic architecture from that period. The structure functioned as both a manorial administrative centre and a place of detention, reflecting the dual role…

Steven Fruitsmaak / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

Remains of medieval priory and Anglo-Saxon monastery under and around Hexham Abbey and its precincts

Scheduled monument · ~0.1 mi

Hexham Abbey is a substantial medieval priory church occupying a site of Anglo-Saxon monastic significance in Northumberland. The abbey was founded in the seventh century as a Benedictine monastery by Saint Wilfrid, whose shrine attracted pilgrimage throughout the medieval period. The surviving s…

Bob Castle / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Hexham Bridge

Scheduled monument · ~0.4 mi

Hexham Bridge is a medieval stone bridge crossing the River Tyne at Hexham in Northumberland. The bridge was constructed in the early fifteenth century, with the earliest recorded reference to its building dating to around 1407, and represents an important example of late medieval bridge engineer…

Mike Quinn / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Dilston Castle

Scheduled monument · ~2.5 mi

Dilston Castle is a late medieval fortified tower house located near Corbridge in Northumberland, dating from the fifteenth century. The structure comprises a substantial stone keep with associated domestic ranges, built by the Radcliffe family as a stronghold in the North East. The castle was no…

Peter Brooks / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Dilston Chapel

Scheduled monument · ~2.5 mi

Dilston Chapel is a Roman Catholic chapel built in the late 17th century, constructed around 1628 and substantially rebuilt after 1753 following the aftermath of the 1715 Jacobite Rising. Located near Corbridge in Northumberland, the chapel serves as a rare surviving example of Catholic worship s…

Phil Thirkell / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Corbridge (Corstopitum) Roman station

Scheduled monument · ~3 mi

Corbridge (Corstopitum) is a Roman auxiliary fort and settlement situated on the Tyne valley in Northumberland, strategically positioned on the Stanegate road that linked the military installations of Roman Britain. Established in the late first century AD as part of the northern frontier defence…

Mike Quinn / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

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• Lanercost Priory · Wikipedia
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