#Battle of Boroughbridge

[scotianostra]

On December 25th in the year 1319 a two year truce between Scotland and England began.

This little known peace treaty is often overlooked, probably due to the Bruce’s government issuing the Declaration of Arbroath the following year.

After Bannockburn King Edward II of England never forgot his humiliation, and he threatened war against Scotland. The Bruce got there first, raiding south as far as York in a bid to capture prisoners to be held for ransom. Edward also had his troubles at home with a trebellion.

The King was also talking to some of the great Northern lords and it looked as if they would do a separate deal with the Bruce to stop him destroying their land. Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, was one of the rebel barons but paid for it with his life after the Battle of Boroughbridge was won by forces loyal to Edward.

Encouraged by ending the civil war in England, Edward came north with a great army, but Bruce deployed the same tactics he had used prior to Bannockburn, destroying anything that could be of use to the English, who were forced to retreat when famine and disease broke out.

In September 1319 The Bruce won a decisive battle at Myton in Yorkshire

Earlier that year Edward II had moved an army North and laid siege to Berwick in an attempt to recapture it from the Scots. In response the army of several thousand Scots, commanded by the Earl of Moray and the Good Sir James Douglas, bypassed the Northern town and marched through the north of England torching all in their path. Their secret objective lay in Edward’s court at York; where they hoped to abduct Edward II’s wife, the 21 year old Queen, Isabella. On September 20th 1319 they neared York and The Battle of Myton ensued.

The outcome of this unequal contest was never in doubt. Formed up according to their custom in a single division, the Scots uttered together a tremendous shout to terrify the English, the Highland charge began racing towards the men from York, who straightaway began to take to their heels at the sound.

The York contingent was an odd mixture of men thrown together to meet the emergency, including priests and monks losses were reported of 3,000, among them Nicholas Flemyng the city mayor.

For Edward II, already at odds with many English nobles, it was another disaster. Meanwhile the victorious Scottish army retreated back across the border into Scotland carrying their ill-gotten gains and prisoners.

Afterwards Edward was forced to raise the siege of Berwick and ultimately agreed to a two year truce.

[une-sanz-pluis]

More than a century after [Thomas, Earl of] Lancaster's execution, in 1466, Lancaster's tomb bled again. [...] While the main event in 1466 was the coronation of Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV, at Westminster, the answer probably lies elsewhere, in earlier events in Yorkshire. During 1464 Henry VI was humiliated by his adversaries in the north and was finally taken to the Tower of London: the humiliation of his pious name-bearer Henry VI, also at Pontefract, may have been a trigger for the 'bubbling up of blood'. The traumatic executions, at Exham, Newcastle, Middlham and York, of a later generation of Lancastrian supporters could have called to mind the wave of executions following the battle of Boroughbridge, of which Lancaster's was the most memorable: the significance for the dead earl's memory may have caused his blood to flow.

Danna Piroyansky, "Bloody Miracles of a Political Martyr: The Case of Thomas Earl of Lancaster", Studies in Church History , Volume 41: Signs, Wonders, Miracles Representations of Divine Power in the Life of the Church (2005)

[wadestone]

The Devil’s Arrows are a row of three prehistoric standing stones located in a field on the outskirts of Boroughbridge. They sit in a landscape that has been occupied for over six thousand years.

The stones exist in a wider, complex, prehistoric landscape, a recent archaeological survey of the surrounding area uncovered a number of features including a double timber post row and an associated ditch, extensive flint scatters and grooved ware pottery.

The tallest stones is 22.5 feet high making it the second tallest stone in the UK after the Rudston Monolith which is 26 feet tall. Graeme recently discovered that the Rudston Monolith, 44 miles away, is aligned precisely due East of the Arrows.

One of the earliest records of the stones comes from the antiquarian John Leland. He  visited the town sometime between 1535 and 1540  and described the row as four upright stones.

..little without this Towne on the west part of Watiling-Streate stadith 4 great maine stones wrought above in conum by Mannes hand. They be set in 3 several Feldes at this Tyme. The first is a 20 foote by estimation in higeth and an 18 foote in cumpace. The stone towards the ground is sumwhat square, and so up to the midle, and then wrought with certen rude boltells in conum. But the very toppe thereof is broken of a 3 or 4 footes. Other 2 of like shap stand in another feld a good But shot of: and the one of them is bigger then the other; and they stand within a 6 or 8 fote one of the other. The fourth standith in a several feld a good stone cast from the other, and is bigger and higher than any of the other 3. I esteme it to the waite of a 5 Waine Lodes or more. Inscription could I none find yn these stones; and if there were it might be woren out; for they be sore woren and scalid with wether. I take to be a trophaea a Romanis posita in the side of Watheling Streat,as yn a place most occupied in Yorneying ad so most yn sighte.

  Thirty years later another antiquarian, William Camden visited the stones but only three were left upright

Neere unto this bridge Westward wee saw in three divers little fields foure huge stones of pyramidall forme, but very rudely wrought, set as it were in a streight and direct line. The two Pyramides in the middest, whereof the one was lately pulled downe by some that hoped, though in vaine, to finde treasure, did almost touch one another. The uttermore stand not far off, yet almost in equall distance from these on both sides.

The fourth stone, toppled by treasure hunters, is thought to have been broken-up and used as the foundation for the bridge over the nearby River Tutt in 1621. There is an account of the top of the stone being taken and placed into the garden of Aldborough Manor.

John Aubrey’s notes in his Monumenta Britannica complied between 1665 and 1693. Aubrey thought that the stones may have been part of a great stone circle. No evidence has ever been found to support his theory.

 Graeme and I have recently been discussing the fate of the fourth stone and decided to take a look to see if we could locate any traces of the missing stone.

We started at the stones themselves. There is currently a crop of beets in the field so we followed the well worn path around field margin. Whilst we were looking at the possible cupmarks on the northern stone we got chatting to a woman who told us that, whilst walking her dogs in the area, she had once experienced an ‘energy’ at the stones that was so powerful it had made he feel ill.

I have enhanced this image a little to highlight the cupmarks on the stone.

We also noticed that there were lots of ladybirds on the stones, it turns out that these are Harlequin Ladybirds, an invasive species that are said to be responsible for the decline of our native species.

I’ve recently read that the grooves on the tops of the stone were caused by The Devil trying to hang his grandmother from the stone.  The tale does not say why he was trying to hang her or whether he was successful. I’m just suprised that the price of darkness had a grandmother

The road beside the field is currently being improved to provide access to a new housing development. It is always a little disturbing to see a development encroaching on an ancient site.

We took a walk down to the bridge over the River Tutt to see if we could spot any remains of the stone.

The Arrows are made of Millstone Grit and are thought to have been brought to the site from Plumpton Rocks, a distance of over 8 miles. The local building stone is a fairly uniform fine grained sandstone so the coarser grained gritstone with it’s large quartz grains is quite easy to spot. We didn’t spot any evidence of gritstone in the bridge but Graeme did spot three large dressed gritstone blocks in the kerbing leading from the bridge.

We decided to head over to nearby Aldborough to see if we could track down the top fragment of the fourth stone.

Aldborough is a small village on the outskirts of Boroughbridge. It is the site of a walled Roman town called Isurium Brigantum. We enquired at the Manor House regarding the whereabouts of the stone, the owner told us that they have looked for evidence of the stone in the manor grounds but not found any trace of it.

In the centre of the village is a large column called the Battle Cross. A nearby plaque states that the cross commemorates the Battle of Boroughbridge in 1322. The plaque also mentions Thomas Earl of Lancaster who was in collusion with the Scots. A Yorkshireman rarely passes up the opportunity to have a pop at his Lancastrian neighbours.

The local church is reputed to be on the site of a Roman Temple, there is a carving built into the church was which is thought to portray Mercury.

Having arrived at a dead end in our search for the fourth stone, we decided to visit the site where, according to legend, the devil stood when he threw the Arrows, How Hill.

How Hill is just over 7 miles west of the Arrows. The first written reference to How Hill is from 1346 and refers to it as the site of a medieval chapel, possibly a place of pilgrimage. The site became a ruin after the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. The tower was rebuilt in 1719 and further domestic buildings were added to it during the 19th century.

What surprised both Graeme and I were the views from the hill, although relatively low lying it has a fantastic viewshed, the Pennines in the West, the North York Moors in the east and as far south as Drax power station.

The tower itself is currently boarded-up, It’s a substantial building, quite singular in design it has a slight air of malice about it. I’m not sure I’d like to visit it in the dark, as Graeme once did. On checking the BGS website I discovered that the bedrocks around the hill are Plumpton Gritstone, the same stone as the Arrows, perhaps the folklore is right and that Arrows did originate from here.

The Devil’s Arrows should be viewed as one of a number of prehistoric monuments that extend in a roughly north-south alignment through North Yorkshire. I recently found this lovely pdf booklet which details this alignment of monuments in North Yorkshire.  Booklet

I’m not sure if anyone has ever tried to tie-in the Arrows with the Neolithic monuments that extend eastwards towards the Yorkshire coast, both Graeme and I believe that it is not unreasonable to think that there may be a connection.

  The Devil’s Arrows The Devil's Arrows are a row of three prehistoric standing stones located in a field on the outskirts of Boroughbridge.

[bookloversofbath]

Bannockburn: Battle for Liberty :: John Sadler

Bannockburn: Battle for Liberty :: John Sadler

Bannockburn: Battle for Liberty :: John Sadler soon to be presented for sale on the brilliant BookLovers of Bath web site!

Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2008, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Contains: Black & white photographs; Maps; References; Glossary; Appendices [5];

From the cover: The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 was one of the decisive battles of British history. The bitter hostility between…

[joanofnavarre]

“The Houses of Plantagenet and Lancaster had not always been united. The Duchy of Lancaster - as it was later called - had emerged in the thirteenth century at the end of the Second Barons' War and death of the rebel Lord Simon de Montfort at Evesham. 

The youngest son of Henry III, Edmund Crouchback, inherited de Montfort Earldom of Leicester and, later, Lancaster. By 1269, Edmund was on track to become an incredibly wealthy territorial magnate, like all who would succeed him.

Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, was a popular prince a capable and pious soldier - nicknamed Crouchback due to the motif of the cross he bore on his shield and wore on his back whilst on crusade.

He was fiercely loyal to his brother King Edward I (Longshanks'), fighting in his various wars across Scotland and France and overseeing extensive Plantagenet castle-building projects in Wales.

Over time Edmund accumulated a series of dignities, land and property. By the end of his life he was extremely powerful, with land dotted throughout the realm. After Edmund's death in Bayonne in 1296, he was interred at Westminster Abbey and his wealth distributed among his children: Thomas, Henry and John. Thomas inherited the title Earl of Lancaster. At the end of the thirteenth century, the relationship between the house of Lancaster and the Plantagenets was positive.

After Edward II ascended the throne, he immediately bestowed a royal title - Earl of Cornwall - on his favourite (and suspected lover) Piers Gaveston. This instantly sparked massive opposition from the nobility, and Thomas of Lancaster became a leading player in an uprising against the King and his favourite. In an unforgiving dispute, Gaveston was eventually caught and executed on Lancaster's lands near Kenilworth, infuriating the King and leading him to call Thomas of Lancaster a rebel and a traitor. 

After Gaveston's death, domestic politics was turned on its head: Thomas of Lancaster exercised his authority and undermined the King. He refused to serve in the war against the Scots, and went so far as to agree to a personal truce with the Scottish lords, working under the pseudonym King Arthur. After years of growing animosity between the cousins, an influential noble family - the Despensers - rose to prominence at court and helped Edward Il seek retribution.

Edward II had never forgiven his cousin for Gaveston's murder and, in 1322, finally took his revenge. Thomas of Lancaster was arrested after the Battle of Boroughbridge and tried for treason - with the Despensers and the King as members of the tribunal. A week after his arrest, Thomas of Lancaster, dressed in an old surcoat, was carried on a donkey a mile from Pontefract Castle, where he was executed. The only mercy extended was that he was at least spared the prescribed fate of a convicted traitor, that of being hung, drawn and quartered.

As he was of royal blood, he was granted death by beheading. After Thomas’s conviction and execution as a traitor, Lancastrian loyalty was called it into question: that historical mistrust would haunt John of Gaunt throughout his political and personal life.

When Gaunt inherited the Lancastrian lands, nearly forty years later, it was claimed that blood trickled from Thomas of Lancaster's tomb - a grim omen of an uncertain dynastic future.

Thomas became a posthumous icon, which perhaps made the Lancastrian position all the more dangerous. Shortly after his death, cult began to emerge around his effigy, said to induce miracles-even his hat was believed to cure headaches. By the time Henry- his younger brother and heir to the Lancastrian lands - installed a memorial cross for the murdered Thomas, the dead Earl had achieved a significant following, with three attempts to have him canonised.

With Edward Il pitted against his Queen, Isabella, and her lover Roger Mortimer, the dynastic future of England was precarious. The Lancastrian administration, however, remained constant. Whilst the royal family were embroiled in a bitter feud, Henry, Earl of Lancaster, invested in Leicester as the heart of Lancastrian affairs. He renovated Leicester Castle but his greatest project was in the south-west of the town, the Newarke - a hospital and church - that employed generations of local labourers.

From 1330, Henry of Lancaster created a home to the Lancastrian dynasty in Leicestershire and brought the previously quiet town of Leicester to the forefront of English consciousness. Henry was popular in Leicester; the citizens of the town respected him and he carefully considered their needs, even endowing funds for a public latrine, for the ease of all the said community. Yet it was his large building projects in Leicester thar benefitted local people most significantly. This positive relationship with the town continued with his son Henry of Grosmont, the future Earl of Derby, Duke of Lancaster and father in law of John of Caunt.

Over the course of his flowering career, and even after being raised to his Dukedom, Henry of Grosmont never shirked his feudal responsibility in Leicester, and the relationship between people and magnate remained steadfast. By the time Gaunt inherited the town, Leicester was unbendingly loyal to Lancaster.”

CARR, Helen. In: The Bleeding Tomb: a Lancastrian Inheritance. The Red Prince John of Gaunt duke of Lancaster. 2021.

Fan casting: Sean Bean as Edmund ‘Crouchback’; Adam Driver as Thomas of Lancaster; Aneurin Barnard as Henry of Lancaster; Nicolaj Coster Waldau as Henry of Grosmont. *

*please notify if these gifs were used inappropriatedly; not mine to claim just to illustrate the characters.

[bantarleton]

The Battle of Myton - Veteran Scots vs English Priests

The year was 1319, and Scotland’s Wars of Independence were going well for the northern kingdom. A famous victory over the English at Bannockburn five years earlier had cemented the rule of Robert I (Robert the Bruce) and left England on the brink of civil war. 

In 1318 the Scots reinforced their success by capturing the vital border town of Berwick. After five years of raids into the north of England, the fall of the heavily fortified town spurred Edward II and his barons into retaliatory action. Along with his queen, Isabella, he mustered the host and marched north, laying siege to Berwick while the queen remained in York. 

Despite investing Berwick by land and sea, the Scots resisted, led by Walter Stewart, the High Steward of Scotland. King Robert wished to lift the siege, but knew that engaging Edward’s larger army in a pitched battle would be unwise. Consequently, he dispatched a raiding force led by his foremost lieutenant, the Black Douglas, into Yorkshire, hoping to draw Edward’s attention away from Berwick.

The Scots seemingly had news of the queen's whereabouts, and the rumour soon spread that one of the aims of their raid was to take her captive. As they advanced towards York, she was hurriedly taken out of the city by water, finally gaining refuge further south in Nottingham. Yorkshire itself was virtually undefended and the raiders had an uninterrupted passage from place to place. William Melton, the Archbishop of York, set about mustering an army, which included a large number of men in holy orders. While the force was led by some men of standing, including John Hotham, Chancellor of England, and Nicholas Fleming, Mayor of York, it had very few men-at-arms or professional fighting men.[5] From the gates of York, Melton's host marched out to face the battle-hardened schiltrons, some 3 miles (5 km) east of Boroughbridge, where the rivers Swale and Ure meet at Myton. The outcome is described in the Brut or the Chronicles of England, the fullest contemporary source for the battle;

The Scots went over the water of Solway...and come into England, and robbed and destroyed all they might and spared no manner of thing until they come to York. And when the Englishmen at last heard of this thing, all that might travel-as well as monks and priests and friars and canons and seculars-come and meet with the Scots at Myton-on-Swale, the 12th day of October. Alas! What sorrow for the English husbandmen that knew nothing of war, they were quelled and drenched in the River Swale. And their holinesses, Sir William Melton, Archbishop of York, and the Abbot of Selby and their steeds, fled, and come to York. And that was their own folly that they had mischance, for they passed the water of Swale; and the Scots set fire to three stacks of hay; and the smoke of the fire was so huge that the Englishmen might not see the Scots. And when the Englishmen were gone over the water, so come the Scots with their wings in manner of a shield, and come toward the Englishmen in a rush; and the Englishmen fled, for they lacked any men of arms...and the Scots hobelars went between the bridge and the Englishmen. And when the great host had them met, the Englishmen almost all were slain. And he that might wend over the water was saved; but many were drenched. Alas, for sorrow! for there was slain many men of religion, and seculars, and also priests and clerks; and with much sorrow the Archbishop escaped; and therefore the Scots called it 'the White Battle'...

Many men were pressed into service who were not trained soldiers, including those who were monks and choristers from the cathedral in York. As so many clerics were slain in the encounter, it also became known as the 'Chapter of Myton'. Barbour gives the English loss as 1,000 killed, including 300 priests, but the contemporary English Lanercost Chronicle says that 4,000 Englishmen were killed by the Scots, while another 1,000 were drowned in the River Swale. Nicholas Fleming was among those killed.

The Chapter of Myton had the effect that Bruce was looking for. At Berwick it caused a serious split in the army between those like the king and the southerners, who wished to continue the siege, and those like Lancaster and the northerners, who were anxious about their homes and property. Edward's army effectively split apart: Lancaster refused to remain and the siege had to be abandoned.

The campaign had been another fiasco, leaving England more divided than ever. It was widely rumoured that Lancaster was guilty of treason, as the raiders appeared to exempt his lands from destruction. Hugh Despenser, the king's new favourite, even alleged that it was Lancaster who had told the Scots of the queen's presence in York. To make matters worse, no sooner had the royal army disbanded than Douglas came back over the border and carried out a destructive raid into Cumberland and Westmorland. Edward had little choice but to ask Robert for a truce, which was granted shortly before Christmas.

[griffinrampant]

Arms of Elias Giffard from the Dering Roll (c. 1270-1300)

Blazon: Gules three lions passant argent a bordure indented or

The last Elias Giffard I can find (the fourth one) died in 1248, so I’m not entirely sure if this is supposed to be him, or perhaps another descendant, Regardless, rebellion runs in the Giffard family. Elias IV, Lord of Brimpsfield, joined the First Baron’s War against King John. He later lost all of his land and titles for his efforts, but Henry III restored them. Then his grandson, Sir John Giffard, the second Baron of Brimpsfield apparently died on the wrong side of the Battle of Boroughbridge and was buried as a traitor. He had no children, so the tradition of Giffards being angry at their monarch ended with him.

[yhwhrulz]

Today's selected anniversaries: 16th March 2023

1190:

Around 150 Jews died inside York Castle, with the majority committing mass suicide to avoid being killed by a mob. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Castle

1322:

Despenser War: A royalist army defeated troops loyal to Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, in the Battle of Boroughbridge, which allowed King Edward II of England to hold on to power for another five years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Boroughbridge

1872:

In the inaugural final of the FA Cup (trophy pictured) Wanderers defeated Royal Engineers 1–0 at The Oval in Kennington, London. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1872_FA_Cup_final

2001:

A series of bomb blasts in the city of Shijiazhuang, China, killed 108 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shijiazhuang_bombings

[scotianostra]

On October 14th 1322 a Scottish army led by King Robert I defeated Edward II of England at the Battle of Old Byland.

Eight years after Bannockburn and two years after the Declaration of Arbroath, the First War of Scottish Independence was still going on, most people don’t know that Edward II tried once again, to take Scotland in this year, perhaps because there was no major battle our history books seem to be bereft of the full details, anyway I will give a wee bit of the details of this English campaign, and the response by King Robert.

After he tasted a sound beating in 1314 at Blackburn Edward II of England refused to recognise Bruce as an independent king. Bruce began raiding Northern England and his brother, Edward, led an invasion of Ireland (which was partly an English colony, more on him later). In 1320 Bruce organised Scottish barons to send a letter to the pope making a powerful case for Scottish independence. But Bruce still faces serious threats. The wounds of the civil war have not healed. In 1320 the Soules Conspiracy to kill Bruce was brutally crushed.

In England, having successfully beaten his rebellious lords at the Battle of Boroughbridge in March 1322 and encouraged by this success, Edward II turned his attention to Scotland and marched on Edinburgh with a large army. This was to be his last campaign into Scotland. Robert responded with his scorched earth policy – ahead of the advancing English, driving out livestock, burning, destroying, trampling crops – so that the English would find no sustenance on the way and would turn back. Famously it was said that the only thing left to eat in Lothian was an old lame cow; the Earl of Surrey is supposed to have said ‘this is the dearest cow that I ever beheld; for of a certainty it has cost a thousand pounds and more’.

Edward reached Edinburgh, but due to the wet weather, lack of shelter and food, his army began to suffer and became apathetic, ill and demoralised. Edward ordered the slaughter of remaining Edinburgh inhabitants (a lot had fled); the English army ran amok and then retreated into England, harried by the Scots, and at around half its original numbers. They straggled back towards York, committing appalling atrocities in their retreat.

In response, Robert the Bruce had taken an army of around 20,000 to the west. Edward heard of this while travelling his way south, and ordered northern lords to attend him around Sutton Bank to assist. Robert the Bruce reached Carlisle and Lancaster, laying waste as he went, and then came across the Pennines to Northallerton where he was joined by Sir James Douglas. Their army marched south overnight, hoping to surprise the English who had by then taken refuge on the Hambledon Hills. He received news that Edward II was at Rievaulx Abbey (or Byland Abbey, accounts differ) and planned, if possible, to capture him to bring the Wars of Scottish Independence to an end. The English heard of the Scottish advance and moved at Old Byland to hold the ridge and block the path up to the top. While awaiting reinforcements, Edward spent his time drinking and feasting at the Abbey. Extra reinforcements from the south supplemented the number of men to a probable 65,000 according to the Lanercrost Chronicle (a northern English history of the day).

Robert the Bruce planned that Sir Walter Stewart (one of his commanders) was to break through to Rievaulx, once the English line had been broken at Roulsden Scar. He could have gone round the ridge and then to Rievaulx, around 15 miles, but decided to attack in case the delay allowed Edward more time to escape. The Scots hid in the trees at the foot of the Scar, shrouded by these and by the smoke from fires.

Bruce assaulted the ridge causing the Earl of Richmond (Edward’s commander) to respond by sending thousands of troops to counter, having the advantage of the heights and in numbers, but Highlanders in the Scottish ranks then attacked up the flanks, being used to mountainous conditions. Bruce and some of his men made their way unnoticed, stealthily, up onto Shaws Moor where the English were encamped and then, through the unprotected rear ranks, charged, roaring, crashing through the English lines, causing the subsequent confrontation to end in a rout. The armies below, hearing the triumphant Scots, looked up to see the Scots on the top of the ridge, causing the remaining English to flee for their lives if they could; the Earl of Richmond was captured, along with other notables.

The Scottish cavalry led by Sir Walter Stewart went after Edward, galloping on towards the Abbey and Edward fled, leaving everything behind, desperately trying to reach the coast at Bridlington to board a ship. He had been settling down to a feast at the Abbey but had had to flee in haste for his life. He managed to evade his pursuers in the dark, but at Bridlington discovered no ship available and so turned for York, riding flat out. From York he managed to make his way to Burstwick and from there, back to London.

The remains of the English army made their way to York seeking protection. Edward had left all his finery, treasure and the Great Seal of England at the Abbey – all then captured by the Scots. The victorious Scots raided the abbeys and made their way back north after plundering and moving through into the Wolds as far as Beverley. York was a fortified city and so was spared. Robert’s army set about making castles unusable and demanding payment from towns and villages – those that could not pay were looted and burnt. The monasteries and priories tried to save their wealth by moving their riches south before the Scottish army arrived, but had to pay heavily and never really recovered their former riches. The treasure gathered on the way back to Scotland helped Robert to make a start rebuilding his realm.

It is said that after Byland “the Scots were so fierce and their chiefs so daring, and the English so cowed, that it was no otherwise between them than as a hare before greyhounds.”

If you have ever driven south down the A1 you will no doubt know of Scotch Corner, but there are two Scotch Corners in Yorkshire – one on a well known major road – and the other, thought to be on the site of the Battle of Byland, is a little to the north of the village of Oldstead, on the promontory of the hill by Sutton Bank known as Scots Corner, or Scotch Corner. An old ‘drovers road’ runs through the site, used by the Scots in later centuries to bring livestock south to sell. There used to be an inn there – the Scotch Corner Inn. When this and the farmhouse fell into ruin, rather fittingly a chapel was built out of the old stone in 1957 to honour war dead in the Second World War, on the site of the battlefield.

It would be another 6 years before a formal peace treaty between the two countries was signed.

[alacqua]

Amazing Castle from @historicalbritain Dunstanburgh Castle, England. - Due to it's remote location amongst the rugged, sea battered ancient Northumberland coastline, Dunstanburgh Castle has got to be in the running for one of the most beautiful aswell as one of the most photogenic castles in all of Britain. A highly popular site for photographers and painters such as JMW Turner, Dunstanburgh certainly rarely fails to deliver beauty and inspiration as it juts out into the wild North Sea. Due to the castles remoteness however the nearest car park is infact a few miles away in the small town of Craster. Luckily for anyone willing to walk the distance to the castle though because the walk up the natural coastline is astonishingly captivating and well worth every bit of the potentially muddy journey. The castle remains still seen today were first built in 1313 on thr orders of 14th century Englands most powerful and wealthy men, Earl Thomas of Lancaster. During his second rebellion against King Edward II, Thomas would be captured following defeat at the battle of Boroughbridge in 1322 after failing to retreat north to Dunstanburgh. Humiliation followed for Thomas as he was executed by beheading within the walls of the massive Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire, a castle he actually owned. The castle would next see major action during the bloody Wars of the Roses as it was used as a Lancastrian stronghold in the North, sufferring from two separate Yorkist seiges in the process. . . Fun Facts!💡 • The interior of the castle covered an area so immense that much of the land inside would remain unused throughout it's life. . • In 1940, after the threat of invasion from Nazi Germany increased dramatically with the fall of Norway, the castle was integrated into Britain's North East coastal defences. . . . #historicalbritain #freetourguide #englishheritage #dunstanburghcastle #dunstanburgh #northumberland #europeancastle #castlesofinstagram #castlesofeurope #englishcastles #englishhistory #castles #castle #visitnorthumberland #northumberlandcoast #northumberland_pics #visitengland #historicengla https://www.instagram.com/p/B9g2NkFgIVC/?igshid=1bppilxcwb63z

[christopher-maudsley]

ACCREDITED SCREENPLAYS & PRIZES

DRAMA PILOTS

BLACK CABS - COCK O’ THE NORTH (pilot) WINNER, BAFTA Rocliffe comedy 2020/21  http://www.bafta.org/supporting-talent/rocliffe#rocliffe-tv-comedy   

FRUITPICKERS (pilot) Top 3% BBC Writers Room Open Call 2022/23

SONGS FOR MY MOTHER & OTHER SAINTS (pilot) Top 8% BBC Writers Room Open Call 2023/4

ADRIAN’S WALL (pilot) longlisted, Shortcom sitcom competition 2023

JORMUNGANDR (pilot) Quarter finalist Bluecat Screenplay Competition 2022

A COMPENDIUM OF GHOSTS (pilot) Quarter finalist, Screencraft Horror 2021, Top 10% BBC Writers Room Open Call 2021/22

FEATURE SCRIPTS

ALBION (feature) PhD by Creative Practice (deferred) info; https://albion1916.wordpress.com/

SHORTS

RAT TAIL Finalist, Shore Scripts 2019, Finalist, The Pitch 2021

EL REY (wri/dir) screened, Film Hub North BFI Network Northern Exposure 2018, Manchester Kinofilm 2020

NAPE Film Hub North / BFI Network Northern Exposure Lab 2018

TEN MEN STOOD IN A FIELD IN FRANCE Longlisted, The Pitch 2018

GERRY’S VOICE (wri/dir) screened, London Short Film Festival 2014

SELECT DOCUMENTARIES & AWARDS

THE BATTLE OF BOROUGHBRIDGE (15mins, post-production) 

A KIPLIN HALL TREASURY (2019, 80 mins) Kiplin Hall Trust

EXPERIMENTAL SONIC MACHINES (2018, 4mins) 5th place Everyday Humans

SOLDIER, BROTHER, FRIEND (2018, 12mins) Best Digital, Community Archive & Heritage Awards

CONSCIENCE & THE CALL TO ARMS (2017, 30mins) Best Digital, Community Archive & Heritage Awards

WOODLAND PIONEERS (2017, 15mins) Best Documentary, International Wood Culture Society

THE YORK ZEPPELIN RAIDS (2016, 15mins) Best Digital, Community Archive & Heritage Awards

WINTER IN YORK (2015, 4mins) Winner, Canon Winter Perspectives

CHRISTMAS IN A DAY (2013, dir Kevin Macdonald) contributor

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 3.16

934 – Meng Zhixiang declares himself emperor and establishes Later Shu as a new state independent of Later Tang. 1190 – Massacre of Jews at Clifford's Tower, York. 1244 – Over 200 Cathars who refuse to recant are burned to death after the Fall of Montségur. 1322 – The Battle of Boroughbridge takes place in the Despenser Wars. 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan reaches the island of Homonhon in the Philippines. 1621 – Samoset, a Mohegan, visited the settlers of Plymouth Colony and greets them, "Welcome, Englishmen! My name is Samoset." 1660 – The Long Parliament of England is dissolved so as to prepare for the new Convention Parliament. 1689 – The 23rd Regiment of Foot, or Royal Welch Fusiliers, is founded. 1782 – American Revolutionary War: Spanish troops capture the British-held island of Roatán. 1782 – Anglo-Spanish War (1779): Action of 16 March 1782. 1792 – King Gustav III of Sweden is shot; he dies on March 29. 1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: An Austrian column is defeated by the French in the Battle of Valvasone. 1802 – The Army Corps of Engineers is established to found and operate the United States Military Academy at West Point. 1812 – The Siege of Badajoz begins: British and Portuguese forces besiege and defeat the French garrison during the Peninsular War. 1815 – Prince Willem proclaims himself King of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, the first constitutional monarch in the Netherlands. 1818 – In the Second Battle of Cancha Rayada, Spanish forces defeated Chileans under José de San Martín. 1864 – American Civil War: During the Red River Campaign, Union troops reach Alexandria, Louisiana. 1865 – American Civil War: The Battle of Averasborough began as Confederate forces suffer irreplaceable casualties in the final months of the war. 1870 – The first version of the overture fantasy Romeo and Juliet by Tchaikovsky receives its première performance. 1872 – The Wanderers F.C. won the first FA Cup, the oldest football competition in the world, beating Royal Engineers A.F.C. 1–0 at The Oval in Kennington, London. 1894 – Jules Massenet's opera Thaïs is first performed. 1898 – In Melbourne the representatives of five colonies adopted a constitution, which would become the basis of the Commonwealth of Australia. 1900 – Sir Arthur Evans purchased the land around the ruins of Knossos, the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete. 1916 – The 7th and 10th US cavalry regiments under John J. Pershing cross the US–Mexico border to join the hunt for Pancho Villa. 1917 – World War I: A German auxiliary cruiser is sunk in the Action of 16 March 1917. 1918 – Finnish Civil War: Battle of Länkipohja is infamous for its bloody aftermath as the Whites executed 70–100 capitulated Reds. 1924 – In accordance with the Treaty of Rome, Fiume becomes annexed as part of Italy. 1925 – An earthquake occurs in Yunnan, China. 1926 – History of Rocketry: Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket, at Auburn, Massachusetts. 1935 – Adolf Hitler orders Germany to rearm herself in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Conscription is reintroduced to form the Wehrmacht. 1936 – Warmer-than-normal temperatures rapidly melt snow and ice on the upper Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, leading to a major flood in Pittsburgh. 1939 – From Prague Castle, Hitler proclaims Bohemia and Moravia a German protectorate. 1940 – First person killed (James Isbister) in a German bombing raid on the UK in World War II during a raid on Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Iwo Jima ended, but small pockets of Japanese resistance persisted. 1945 – Ninety percent of Würzburg, Germany is destroyed in only 20 minutes by British bombers, resulting in around 5,000 deaths. 1958 – The Ford Motor Company produces its 50 millionth automobile, the Thunderbird, averaging almost a million cars a year since the company's founding. 1962 – A Flying Tiger Line Super Constellation disappears in the western Pacific Ocean, with all 107 aboard missing and presumed dead. 1966 – Launch of Gemini 8, the 12th manned American space flight and first space docking with an Agena Target Vehicle. 1968 – Vietnam War: My Lai Massacre occurs; between 347 and 500 Vietnamese villagers (men, women, and children) are killed by American troops. 1968 – General Motors produces its 100 millionth automobile, the Oldsmobile Toronado. 1969 – A Viasa McDonnell Douglas DC-9 crashes in Maracaibo, Venezuela, killing 155. 1976 – British Prime Minister Harold Wilson resigns, citing personal reasons. 1977 – Assassination of Kamal Jumblatt, the main leader of the anti-government forces in the Lebanese Civil War. 1978 – Former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro is kidnapped. (He is later murdered by his captors.) 1978 – A Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Tupolev Tu-134 crashes near Gabare, Bulgaria, killing 73. 1978 – Supertanker Amoco Cadiz splits in two after running aground on the Portsall Rocks, three miles off the coast of Brittany, resulting in the largest oil spill in history at that time. 1979 – Sino-Vietnamese War: The People's Liberation Army crosses the border back into China, ends the war. 1983 – Demolition of the Ismaning radio transmitter, the last wooden radio tower in Germany. 1984 – William Buckley, the CIA station chief in Beirut, Lebanon, is kidnapped by Islamic fundamentalists. (He later dies in captivity.) 1985 – Associated Press newsman Terry Anderson is taken hostage in Beirut. He is released on December 4, 1991. 1988 – Iran–Contra affair: Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and Vice Admiral John Poindexter are indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States. 1988 – Halabja chemical attack: The Kurdish town of Halabja in Iraq is attacked with a mix of poison gas and nerve agents on the orders of Saddam Hussein, killing 5,000 people and injuring about 10,000 people. 1988 – The Troubles: Ulster loyalist militant Michael Stone attacks a Provisional IRA funeral in Belfast with pistols and grenades. A PIRA volunteer and two civilians are killed, and more than 60 others are wounded. 1991 – The airplane carrying eight members of Reba McEntire's touring band crashed on the side of Otay Mountain. 1995 – Mississippi formally ratifies the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment was officially ratified in 1865. 2001 – A series of bomb blasts that took place in the city of Shijiazhuang, China killed 108 people and injured 38 others, was the biggest mass murder in China in decades. 2003 – American activist Rachel Corrie is killed in Rafah trying to obstruct the demolition of a home by being run over by a bulldozer. 2005 – Israel officially hands over Jericho to Palestinian control. 2014 – Crimea votes in a controversial referendum to secede from Ukraine to join Russia. 2016 – A bomb detonates in a bus carrying government employees in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 15 and injuring at least 54. 2016 – Two suicide bombers detonate their explosives at a mosque during morning prayer on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Nigeria, killing 22 and injuring 18.

[ukresinboundsurfacing]

A long-distance bike adventure with my son on the National Cycle Network

Charlie and Will at the end of their journey

Charlie on a well-needed pit stop

Will, a Sustrans supporter from Manchester, and his son Charlie got into cycling together. So when Charlie, then 11 years old, suggested they attempt the long ride from Land’s End to John o’Groats (LEJOG) together, Will couldn’t think of a good reason not to.

Each of them gave their take on the experience.

Charlie’s story

I had the idea for this trip because I love cycling. This is because you see a lot more wildlife and scenery than in a car and it is really fun to glide along down a descent after a tough challenge uphill.

I fancied doing it now because it was my last chance until after my GCSEs and I wanted to complete it before I got to secondary school. I was expecting it to be tough and I didn’t know if I would be able to do it but I was determined to complete a big bucket list challenge.

I found the first couple of days very tricky as there were a lot of long, steep hills but after that it wasn’t as tough (although I am not saying it was easy). My favourite bit was Cornwall because, even though there were a lot of hills, the views were spectacular and everyone was very kind.

“ I highly recommend it if you are thinking about giving it a go. ”

- Charlie

Before I left, my teacher and my classmates sent me inspiring quotes to help me along the way which encouraged me to achieve my goal.

I am also very grateful to my grandpa and uncle who supported me and my dad throughout our journey if we ran out of energy bars or needed a spare pump.

It feels great to have done it and I highly recommend it if you are thinking about giving it a go.

Will’s story

We fell into multi-day cycling really. It started when, fed up with the cost in time and money of driving, I bought a bike for short journeys. A colleague got wind of this and suggested we cycle from Morecambe to Bridlington. Not, I grant you, a short journey. I couldn’t see how this could be done without using the M62, but I was persuaded and spent a great few days cycling the Way of the Roses.

My colleague and I followed this up with Coast and Castles South and I was hooked. It also struck me that the National Cycle Network, on which these routes were based, would be a fabulous resource for adventures with kids.

Charlie was showing an interest in and aptitude for cycling and we made our first foray when he was 8, riding from York to Boroughbridge, a safe, flat 20 miles or so. He too caught the bug.

Coast and Castles was next, in 2015, and over two trips and six days we cycled from Alnmouth to Leuchars.

Charlie’s ambitions, confidence and ability grew so our next challenge was the Way of the Roses in 2016. Throughout this time he was nurturing a desire to ride really big distances and when in October he announced he’d like to try LEJOG, my initial scepticism was defeated by his determination and a realisation that I could not say that he was incapable of doing it (and my own desire to make the trip).

“ It struck me that the National Cycle Network would be a fabulous resource for adventures with kids. ”

- Will

Of course undertaking such a journey with a child demands a lot of planning. One can’t arrive in a town with nowhere to eat or sleep; Charlie needed to know that all he had to do was ride and everything else would be fine.

So I devised a route to suit our own particular needs, travelling it virtually through Street View to make sure I knew what to expect, and I booked accommodation well in advance.

We carried our own kit (we always have) but had some great back-up from family members who put themselves nearby with a car and a bike rack, just in case. After battling headwinds across Dartmoor (we had to pedal just to go downhill) I had a bit of a wobble in Exeter and thought perhaps we might need that rack.

Charlie was unbowed, however, and once through the South West our strength and confidence grew. 

It was a remarkable journey, each day bringing a new county, and each county displaying different terrain, vegetation, wildlife and history; we saw the UK in many guises.

A particular, and unexpected, highlight for me was the run from Chatelherault Country Park, south east of Glasgow, to Tarbet on the shores of Loch Lomond: a safe, flat and relatively easy ride through the biggest city on our route to some of the most beautiful countryside along National Route 74, 75 and 7 and Regional Route 40.

This was, without question, the trip of a lifetime, but there is only one question at the end of any such adventure – what’s next?

Are you feeling inspired? Read about other long-distance routes and why not challenge yourself this year

Buy the Sustrans guide to LEJOG

Cycling

National Cycle Network

Young people

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8239590 https://www.sustrans.org.uk/blog/long-distance-bike-adventure-son-national-cycle-network-lands-end-john-ogroats-lejog via IFTTT

[runningtrackcontractors]

A long-distance bike adventure with my son on the National Cycle Network

Charlie and Will at the end of their journey

Charlie on a well-needed pit stop

Will, a Sustrans supporter from Manchester, and his son Charlie got into cycling together. So when Charlie, then 11 years old, suggested they attempt the long ride from Land’s End to John o’Groats (LEJOG) together, Will couldn’t think of a good reason not to.

Each of them gave their take on the experience.

Charlie’s story

I had the idea for this trip because I love cycling. This is because you see a lot more wildlife and scenery than in a car and it is really fun to glide along down a descent after a tough challenge uphill.

I fancied doing it now because it was my last chance until after my GCSEs and I wanted to complete it before I got to secondary school. I was expecting it to be tough and I didn’t know if I would be able to do it but I was determined to complete a big bucket list challenge.

I found the first couple of days very tricky as there were a lot of long, steep hills but after that it wasn’t as tough (although I am not saying it was easy). My favourite bit was Cornwall because, even though there were a lot of hills, the views were spectacular and everyone was very kind.

“ I highly recommend it if you are thinking about giving it a go. ”

- Charlie

Before I left, my teacher and my classmates sent me inspiring quotes to help me along the way which encouraged me to achieve my goal.

I am also very grateful to my grandpa and uncle who supported me and my dad throughout our journey if we ran out of energy bars or needed a spare pump.

It feels great to have done it and I highly recommend it if you are thinking about giving it a go.

Will’s story

We fell into multi-day cycling really. It started when, fed up with the cost in time and money of driving, I bought a bike for short journeys. A colleague got wind of this and suggested we cycle from Morecambe to Bridlington. Not, I grant you, a short journey. I couldn’t see how this could be done without using the M62, but I was persuaded and spent a great few days cycling the Way of the Roses.

My colleague and I followed this up with Coast and Castles South and I was hooked. It also struck me that the National Cycle Network, on which these routes were based, would be a fabulous resource for adventures with kids.

Charlie was showing an interest in and aptitude for cycling and we made our first foray when he was 8, riding from York to Boroughbridge, a safe, flat 20 miles or so. He too caught the bug.

Coast and Castles was next, in 2015, and over two trips and six days we cycled from Alnmouth to Leuchars.

Charlie’s ambitions, confidence and ability grew so our next challenge was the Way of the Roses in 2016. Throughout this time he was nurturing a desire to ride really big distances and when in October he announced he’d like to try LEJOG, my initial scepticism was defeated by his determination and a realisation that I could not say that he was incapable of doing it (and my own desire to make the trip).

“ It struck me that the National Cycle Network would be a fabulous resource for adventures with kids. ”

- Will

Of course undertaking such a journey with a child demands a lot of planning. One can’t arrive in a town with nowhere to eat or sleep; Charlie needed to know that all he had to do was ride and everything else would be fine.

So I devised a route to suit our own particular needs, travelling it virtually through Street View to make sure I knew what to expect, and I booked accommodation well in advance.

We carried our own kit (we always have) but had some great back-up from family members who put themselves nearby with a car and a bike rack, just in case. After battling headwinds across Dartmoor (we had to pedal just to go downhill) I had a bit of a wobble in Exeter and thought perhaps we might need that rack.

Charlie was unbowed, however, and once through the South West our strength and confidence grew. 

It was a remarkable journey, each day bringing a new county, and each county displaying different terrain, vegetation, wildlife and history; we saw the UK in many guises.

A particular, and unexpected, highlight for me was the run from Chatelherault Country Park, south east of Glasgow, to Tarbet on the shores of Loch Lomond: a safe, flat and relatively easy ride through the biggest city on our route to some of the most beautiful countryside along National Route 74, 75 and 7 and Regional Route 40.

This was, without question, the trip of a lifetime, but there is only one question at the end of any such adventure – what’s next?

Are you feeling inspired? Read about other long-distance routes and why not challenge yourself this year

Buy the Sustrans guide to LEJOG

Cycling

National Cycle Network

Young people

from Blog https://www.sustrans.org.uk/blog/long-distance-bike-adventure-son-national-cycle-network-lands-end-john-ogroats-lejog via IFTTT

[scotianostra]

On December 25th in the year 1319 a two year truce between Scotland and England began.

This little known peace treaty is often overlooked, probably due to the Bruce’s government issuing the Declaration of Arbroath the following year.

After Bannockburn  King Edward II of England  never forgot his humiliation, and he threatened war against Scotland. The Bruce got there first, raiding south as far as York in a bid to capture prisoners to be held for ransom. Edward also had his troubles at home with a trebellion.

The King was also talking to some of the great Northern lords and it looked as if they would do a separate deal with the Bruce to stop him destroying their land. Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, was one of the rebel barons but paid for it with his life after the Battle of Boroughbridge was won by forces loyal to Edward.

Encouraged by ending the civil war in England, Edward came north with a great army, but Bruce deployed the same tactics he had used prior to Bannockburn, destroying anything that could be of use to the English, who were forced to retreat when famine and disease broke out.

In September 1319 The Bruce won a decisive battle at Myton in Yorkshire

Earlier that year Edward II had moved an army North and laid siege to Berwick in an attempt to recapture it from the Scots. In response the army of several thousand Scots, commanded by the Earl of Moray and the Good Sir James Douglas, bypassed the Northern town and marched through the north of England torching all in their path. Their secret objective lay in Edward’s court at York; where they hoped to abduct Edward II’s wife, the 21 year old Queen, Isabella. On September 20th 1319 they neared York and The Battle of Myton ensued.

The outcome of this unequal contest was never in doubt. Formed up according to their custom in a single division, the Scots uttered together a tremendous shout to terrify the English, the Highland charge began racing towards the men from York, who straightaway began to take to their heels at the sound.

The York contingent was an odd mixture of men thrown together to meet the emergency, including priests and monks losses were  reported of 3,000, among them Nicholas Flemyng the city mayor.

For Edward II, already at odds with many English nobles, it was another disaster. Meanwhile the victorious Scottish army retreated back across the border into Scotland carrying their ill-gotten gains and prisoners.

Afterwards Edward was forced to raise the siege of Berwick and ultimately agreed to a two year truce.

[scotianostra]

March 16th 1322 saw the death of Humphrey VIII de Bohun, 4thEarl of Hereford.

Humphrey would have fought alongside Robert Bruce during the early campaigns in Scotland, during the First Wars of Scottish Independence, since Bruce, like many other Scots and Border men, moved back and forth from English allegiance to Scottish. The Bruce, family is said to have been closely connected to the de Bohuns.

Humphrey de Bohun received many of Robert Bruce’s forfeited properties. It is unknown whether Humphrey he was a long-time friend or enemy of Robert Bruce, but they were about the same age and the lands of the two families in Essex and Middlesex lay very close to each other.

After Bruce’s self-exile, Humphrey took Lochmaben, and Longshanks awarded him Annandale and the castle. During this period Bruce’s queen, Elizabeth de Burgh, daughter of the Earl of Ulster, was captured by Edward I and taken prisoner, de Bohun and his wife Elizabeth became her custodians. Before The Battle of Bannockburn he fell out of favour Edward II, but still led the cavalry into the fray, this was thought to be on the second day of the battle, the day before  his nephew Henry de Bohun rashly charged at Robert Bruce and received a mortal blow through his head from the Bruce’s battleaxe.

When the battle was lost Bohun retreated with the Earl of Angus and several other barons, knights and men to Bothwell Castle, seeking a safe haven. However, all the refugees who entered the castle were taken prisoner by its formerly English governor who, like many Border knights, declared for Scotland as soon as word came of the victory at Bannockburn.

Humphrey de Bohun was ransomed by Edward II, his brother-in-law, on the pleading of his wife Elizabeth. This was one of the most interesting ransoms in English history. The Earl was traded for Bruce’s queen and daughter, two bishops, Isabel MacDuff, Countess of Buchan and other important Scots captives in England.

Sir Humphrey met a grisly end at the battle of Boroughbridge rebelling against Edward II.  The rebel forces were halted by Royalist troops at the wooden bridge at Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, where Humphrey, leading an attempt to storm the bridge, met his death on this day in 1322………we all love a good yarn and like Edward II who’s own end was said to have happened at the end of a hot poker, Sir Humphrey met a similar end, although the details have been called into question by a few historians, his death may have been particularly gory. As recounted by Ian Mortimer.

“The 4th Earl of] Hereford led the fight on the bridge, but he and his men were caught in the arrow fire. Then one of de Harclay’s pikemen, concealed beneath the bridge, thrust upwards between the planks and skewered the Earl of Hereford through the anus, twisting the head of the iron pike into his intestines. His dying screams turned the advance into a panic.”

His sarcophagus is in the ruins of Blackfriars Abbey Church, York as seen in the first pic, other pics are his Effigy , arms and his seal.