Siege of Wark Castle 1315
Who Fought
History & Significance
Wark on Tweed Castle, sometimes referred to as Carham Castle, is a ruined motte-and-bailey castle at the west end of Wark on Tweed in Northumberland. The ruins are a Grade II* listed building.
The castle, which was built by Walter Espec in 1136, was destroyed by the Scots following a siege in 1138 and then rebuilt between 1157 and 1161. An octagonal keep was built on the motte in the early 13th century at roughly the same time that the towers and gatehouse were added. It was here that in 1349 King Edward III bent down and assisted the "Countess of Salisbury" (either Edward's future daughter-in-law Joan of Kent or her former mother-in-law, Catherine Montagu, Countess of Salisbury) with her garter and, in honour of that moment, subsequently founded the Order of the Garter.
Thomas Dacre described the newly refurbished castle in June 1518 after work directed by the Master Mason of Berwick. The donjon or keep was finished, and fit to mount great cannon on each vaulted floor. Cannon could be hoisted up the donjon through an internal well. The watchman on top could see Norham and the outskirts of Berwick. There were three wards or courtyards, almost complete.
A Scottish army commanded by Regent Albany besieged Wark in November 1522, and Sir William Lisle defended the castle against the French assault troops, helped by bad weather. Advance warning of Albany's invasion plan was sent to the English commanders by the Prioress of Coldstream and the Prioress of Eccles. The weather was poor and it was thought that Scottish artillery could not be brought to the border. However, the Scottish guns were set up to batter Wark. After two days Albany's force of 2,000 men (mostly French) crossed the Tweed in boats. They penetrated the inner court but were repulsed by William Lisle's garrison. The Earl of Surrey wrote that newly built bulwarks of earth had made the Castle better able to withstand a siege. He found it hard to maintain a garrison, and wished the castle was in the sea so there could be no deserters.
In September 1523 the Earl of Surrey, William Frankelyn, Chancellor of Durham, and Sir William Bulmer, Sheriff of Durham viewed the defences at Wark and Norham Castle. Surrey gave orders for new bulwarks and earthwork defences at Wark. He thought the inner ward could withstand a 10 day siege, but the outer ward could only be held for 2 days. He thought the keep at Wark was as strong as any he had seen, and stronger than the keep at Guînes.
In June 1524 Cardinal Wolsey ordered repairs to the keep or donjon walls and lead for the roof was to be brought from Dunstanburgh Castle. George Lawson reported to Thomas Cromwell in March 1533 that the walls by the waterside had fallen.
The ground they fought on
The site of Siege of Wark Castle 1315 lies on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone, argillaceous rocks and subordinate sandstone, interbedded.
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