The Neville's Cross Campaign 1346

What follows is an overview of the Neville's Cross Campaign that culminated in the battle of Neville's Cross on 17 October 1346.

The Battle of Neville's Cross, 17 October 1346

A Scottish Invasion -The Neville's Cross Campaign 1346

If you’re local to the Durham area, chances are you’ve grumbled your way through Neville’s Cross in traffic on the A167, wondering why it’s even called that, or passed through it on the way to somewhere more interesting. What you may not know is that on 17 October 1346, this quiet suburb was the site of a major medieval battle. Almost 20,000 men took part in the fighting. Most historians place the action just north and west of the Crossgate Moor area, towards what is now Bearpark. Back then, Bearpark was Beaurepaire Priory, a small monastic retreat where the monks of Durham Cathedral withdrew for peace, prayer, and a bit of distance from everyone else. Unfortunately for them, on this particular autumn morning, their tranquil retreat turned into a battlefield.

The trouble began with a Scottish invasion led by King David II, son of Robert I, better known as Robert the Bruce. On 9 October, David crossed the border at the head of one of the best equipped Scottish armies ever to march south. For years, Philip VI of France had been funnelling money, weapons and armour to his Scottish allies, desperate to get Edward III to look north rather than continuing his successful campaign in France. By autumn 1346, Philip’s situation was dire. His army had been battered at Crécy, Calais was under siege, and he needed a distraction quickly. David was his chosen man.

Eager to prove himself worthy of his father’s name, and convinced the English army was away fighting in France, David thought the time was right. Philip had assured him that northern England was a “defenceless void”. This was not the case, but David was about to find that out the hard way.

He mustered around 20,000 men at Perth, though the usual Highland politics meant a large contingent wandered off home before they even got moving. David pressed on with about 12,000 men, crossing the border near Carlisle. There he encountered the small but stubborn garrison of Liddel Strength, a peel tower whose defenders probably wished they’d called in sick that week. After a three-day siege, the tower fell. According to the Lanercost Chronicle, the entire garrison was put to the sword, including its commander, Sir Walter de Selby. From there, the Scots extorted Carlisle and pillaged their way through the countryside until they reached Beaurepaire Priory on the outskirts of Durham. It was a classic medieval road trip, if your idea of a road trip involves arson and slaughter.

On the morning of 17 October, Sir William Douglas led a 500-strong raiding party south towards Auckland (now Bishop Auckland). They plundered Merrington (Kirk Merrington) but were caught unawares by the English vanguard under Sir Robert Ogle. Many of Douglas’s men were lightly armed and clearly not expecting to fight anyone that day. The result was a rout. Around 300 Scots were killed or captured as the raiders fled north in panic. So much for the “defenceless void.”

Sir Walter de Selby - An English Man-at-Arms

Edward III was no fool. He had exempted his northern lords from service in France precisely so they could defend the border. When news of the invasion reached Yorkshire, an English host assembled quickly at Richmond. William de la Zouche, Archbishop of York, led the initial 3,000 men north. They linked up with Sir Henry Percy, who had withdrawn towards Auckland with about 1,000 men, and by 16 October a further 3,000 under Lord Ralph Neville and Sir Thomas Rokeby arrived. In short order, an English army of around 7,000 stood ready.

This force included about 3,500 longbowmen, 1,500 men-at-arms (knights and heavily equipped infantry), 1,500 lighter infantry, and 500 hobelars (light cavalry). The Scottish army, by contrast, relied mostly on spear-armed infantry with only a few archers and cavalry. It was a classic mismatch. On one side, England’s experienced northern lords with their lethal archers. On the other, David’s army, fired by French gold and misplaced confidence.

The Scots deployed on rough, broken ground in three divisions. The right was commanded by Douglas and the Earl of Moray, the centre by King David himself, and the left reserve by Robert Stewart. The English formed up facing them, with infantry blocks opposite the Scottish divisions. Rokeby commanded the English left, Neville the centre, and Percy the right, with the Archbishop keeping a small cavalry reserve. Longbowmen were spread thickly along the flanks and between the infantry lines, ready to do what they did best.

The battle opened with the English archers advancing and loosing into the Scottish ranks. Longbowmen were England’s great battlefield advantage. Time and again, they broke armies that outnumbered them, and Neville’s Cross was no exception. Arrows hammered down into the Scots, breaking their formations before they even reached the English line. Forced to attack over uneven ground under relentless fire, the Scots advanced in disorder, their formations already fraying.

The Scottish right collapsed first. The Earl of Moray was killed, and Douglas led a battered remnant back to David’s centre. The King’s division fought stubbornly but was surrounded and cut down piece by piece. As for Robert Stewart and the reserve, they took one look at the state of the battlefield and decided they had somewhere better to be. They left without striking a blow.

King David was captured by a Northumbrian squire named John de Coupland. It was the sort of battlefield glory young men dreamed of in the 14th century. David would spend the next eleven years as a prisoner in England and his ransom, when finally paid, almost bankrupted Scotland.

In the aftermath, Lord Ralph Neville erected a large stone cross on the battlefield to commemorate the victory. What remains of it can still be seen today, quietly tucked away near the site of one of the most decisive English victories of the Hundred Years’ War. Hundreds of Scots were killed or captured while English losses were minimal.

Today, Neville’s Cross is remembered more as a traffic junction than a battlefield. That is a shame. This was a pivotal moment, a day when northern England rose to meet a threat without the king’s army, and won. If you find yourself sitting in traffic there one day, take a moment to imagine the clash of steel, the hiss of arrows and the shouts of men fighting for their lives on that ground nearly seven centuries ago.

If this has whetted your appetite, you can read more in my book A King’s Gamble: The Neville’s Cross Campaign, 1346, available from Amazon on Kindle and paperback, or directly from me at www.nickmclean.co.uk.