The Old Bridge and Berwick  

                                                                                                                                    a painting by Susan.E.Hughes 

4000yrs in Northumberland before The ‘Hammer’ of The Scots 

1996 marked the 700th anniversary of the sacking of
Berwick and subsequent ‘hammering’ of Scotland by King
Edward I.  Edward ‘Longshanks’ knew the area between
the Tweed and Humber as North-Humber-Land, focussing
on figures like him can obscure other pilgrims through
our fascinating landscape.  Those who trouble to look
around are greatly rewarded.  Edin’s Broch just over
the Tweed and into Scotland, built perhaps 5000 years
ago.  Cup marks and carved circles atop the haunting
rock at Roughting Linn south of Berwick, probably
begun around the same time and now surrounded by
enchanting woods which make a natural home for the
spirits of our forebears who worked played and
worshipped their Gods there.  Ancient burial mounds
can also be found throughout the north of England. 
These long or circular ‘Barrows’ are rough
constructions of earth and stone 2.5 metres high and
anything from 8 to 16 metres in diameter, built to
hold cremated remains of our sealed in earthen pots,
dated by the fairly reliable carbon 14 test to
somewhere around 1800 BC, The Bronze-Age. 

Bronze-age man gradually cleared the oak forests
between the Tweed and the Humber in order to cultivate
land raising sheep and barley - Berwick-upon-Tweed
gaining its name Bar-Wick, as ‘the place of the
Barley’.    Trading swords of bronze, knives of flint
and jet ornaments for gold from Ireland and stone
battle axes from Scandinavia, they wore woollen dress
buttoned down the front and hunted deer, wild bulls,
wolves, wildcats and pigs amongst the oak trees.

After the Bronze-Age came Iron man somewhere around
800 BC and his age continues into our own as we
develop his discovery of extracting the metallic
content of ironstone.  In 1836 the Danish
archaeologist J.C.Thomsen defined three technological
ages of man, Stone, Bronze and Iron, we often refer to
the inhabitants of his third age as Ancient Britons. 
Their new technology revolutionised the clearing of
forest and cultivation of land by introducing iron
scythes, axes, hoes and ploughs.  Defence against
invaders was strengthened by iron swords, spears,
daggers and shields.                                 


These developments faced the Romans when, under
command of Aulus Plautius,  they invaded the Ancient
Britons in 43 AD.  Silver coins, enamelled jewellery,
helmets which surface in fields from times to time and
the hill stations along our coastline bear testimony
to the superiority of Roman force which brought an end
to the lives of prehistoric Northumbrians.  Townships
and roads were built, ports established and the Pax
Romana brought stability to rural life for almost 400
years.  Hadrian’s Wall prevented the Picts and The
Scots from attacking the land south of the Tees and
although Rome had its opponents, when the Romans
quitted our shores in 410AD there were many who wished
that their stable rule had remained.

Alaric the Goth had attacked Rome and so Emperor
Honorius headed home to help and left the Britons to
fend for themselves.  Picts and Scots scaled
Hadrian’s Wall and laid waste the north of England. 
In 446AD the Britons sent a message to the Roman
Governor of Gaul (France) begging help, this letter
came to be known as ‘The Groans of the Britons’.  The
Governor had his own troubles with Attila the Hun and
was unwilling to weaken his own position.  Vortigern
the then leader of the Britons turned to the Saxons
over in Germany for help which came in the shape of an
army led by Hengist.  So began another milestone in
our history, the union of the Anglo-Saxons, which was
to last with one or two rude interruptions by the
Vikings, until the Norman conquest.  With good reason
these times came to be known as ‘The Dark Ages’.

Hengist liked what he saw over here and summoned his
brother and together they seized the entire country
for themselves, chasing the Scots and Picts back over
the wall and the Britons into remote corners of the
land.  Legend has it that King Arthur fought a famous
battle at Mount Baden in 515AD leading the Britons to
Victory over the Saxons.  It is thought that Mount
Baden is what is now known as Eston Nab at Eston in
Cleveland and there is certainly evidence of a Saxon
Camp there to this day.  Any victory was short lived
however, the Saxons eventually triumphed and set up
government throughout Britain by dividing it into
seven distinct Kingdoms known as The Saxon Heptarchy.
The last and largest of these was North-humber-land.
This Kingdom was itself divided into two smaller
units, Bernica between the Tweed and the Tees and
Deira between the Tees and the Humber.  Deira was
Saxon for ‘wild beast’ perhaps reflecting the
abundance of those animals which were hunted there.

No one knows for certain precisely when Christianity
first established places of worship.  It is probable
that Christians came with Roman merchant ships.  We
do know that St Columba brought Celtic Christianity to
the Isle of Iona off the Scottish mainland from
Ireland in 563AD and St Augustine Roman Christianity
to Kent in 597.  The decision which should hold sway
over Northumberland was made by Oswald after winning
the Battle of Heavenfield in 634 declaring himself to
be a Celtic Christian King.  Oswald had an Abbey
built at Whitby in 658 and ironically it was there
that Abbess Hilda presided over an historic council in
664 which decided that Roman Christianity was to be
the form recognised throughout England.  The Celtic
Saints were banished to the far north.

The Saxon Heptarchy was not a success, it was for ever
at war within itself weakening its hoped for unity of
kingdoms by tribal feuds and much bloodshed.  When
the Vikings laid siege to Lindisfarne in 793 they met
with little resistance.  Marching south they laid
waste the countryside.  A second wave in the form of
The Viking Great Army of 866 further reduced what was
left of Deira, the land between the Humber and the
Tees.  The Vikings then set about building their own
settlements, leaving us to this day place names with
their own ‘signature’ on the end, ‘by’ meaning
farmstead.  Saxon churches were burnt, along with
monasteries which were the seat of all learning, lands
and intellects remained uncultivated.

The Vikings eventually moved south, leaving the Saxon
remnants free to rebuild their small communities. 
Fortunately for those living in southern Britain, King
Alfred the Great defeated the Danes in a series of
battles which drove them north once more much to the
despair of the Saxons.  The last and most powerful
Viking in the north was Siward who declared himself to
be King of Northumbria.  He terrorised the north but
had one redeeming feature, like the Romans before him
he kept the Scots and the Picts out of his territory.
Siward died in bed in 1055 just eleven years before
the Norman conquest and was succeeded by Earl Tostig
who was then killed at Stamford Bridge near to York
shortly before the Battle of Hastings.  King Harold
made Morcar, brother of Edwin Earl of Mercia the third
Earl of Northumbria.

After Harold’s defeat by William Duke of Normandy,
Earls Morcar and Edwin had to give up their land but
were allowed to retain their titles.  William the
Conqueror gave a man called Gospatric charge of both
the land and armies of Northumbria.  He was the son
of Maldred, brother of Duncan, the father of King
Malcolm of Scotland -  Gospatric was soon to be
grateful for his Scottish connections.

William was crowned King by Aldred Archbishop of York.
  His armies did not necessarily fight for the love of
William, they were hired mercenaries and wanted
payment.  William levied severe taxes, especially in
the north and this led to considerable unrest.  There
then followed a confident uprising against him in
Northumberland when news spread that Swein the Dane
was returning to our shores.  He landed by the Humber
but was defeated by William’s men.  Now distrustful
of the north, William sent one Robert de Comines and
seven hundred men to secure Durham and take over as
Earl of Northumberland.  In January of 1069 Robert
crossed the Tees into Durham killing any peasants he
found there.  When word spread to Durham a large army
was rallied which utterly destroyed Robert’s band. 
Only Robert and his personal aide survived the
slaughter, they took refuge in a house but were
discovered, the house was burnt and as they tried to
make their escape both men were beheaded.

Gaining in confidence the rebels mustered support all
the way back to York.  They trapped the Governor of
York Castle outside the city walls and killed him. 
Word was smuggled out of York to William that the only
Norman Garrison north of the Humber was now under
siege.  William, realised that Edwin and Morcar had
turned against him, and were plotting with Gospatric.
He made a terrible oath to avenge his dead kinsmen in
York and Durham.  William was given to making oaths
and often began them with the words “By God’s
splendour ......” this time he added “I will harry the
north!”  Thus began an infamous chapter in our
history known as ‘The Harrying (or Harrowing) of The
North’ of 1069AD.

“For 60 miles between York and Durham every village
was deserted and scarce a house left standing, the
whole district being reduced by fire and sword to a
horrible desert, smoking in blood and ashes.  The
land lay uncultivated for nine years, and a dreadful
famine ensued,

which reduced the wretched inhabitants to eat the
flesh of dogs, cats, horses and even human carcasses,
multitudes lay on the ground unburied, and the few
that escaped the sword perished in the fields overcome
with want and misery.”        (The Reverend John
Graves)

Gospatric fled to Scotland to seek refuge with his
kinsmen.  He survived for a time in Scotland
producing a son and heir named after him.  It was
this Gospatric who witnessed the Charters granted to
the Abbey of Scone in 1115 and Holyrood at Edinburgh
in 1128.  His son, Huchtred in his turn had a son who
styled himself Helias de Dundas, having obtained a
charter from Waldevus, son of Gospatric his uncle. 
This document, dated 1145 AD is thought to be held to
this day by the Dundas family.  The present Marquess
of Zetland is the 27th in direct lineal descent from
Gospatric, the Earl of Northumbria who stood against
William the Conqueror. 

The very last stand of the Britons against William was
at Coatham Marshes on the Tees where arrow heads are
still found to this day.  It is said that, had there
been a remnant of Britons able to ambush the by now
vulnerable William at Bilsdale near Helmsley following
the Coatham battle, history would have taken a
different turn.  Making his way home through the Dale
William was caught in a spell of freak weather and
separated from his army and left with only six men to
guard him.  Even today farmers in Bilsdale have a
saying for someone on a cold day “swearing like Billy
Norman” apparently passed down from father to son.

After Coatham, the desolation of Northumberland, from
Bernica to Deira was complete.  In 1070 King Malcolm
of Scotland was able to wander south without challenge
and destroyed any remaining villages, taking advantage
to make the invasion he had feared to mount in 1058. 
It may have been this period which led to the naming
of Northumberland as ‘any man’s land’.

THEN CAME EDWARD 1ST - GOOD FRIDAY 1296

The Association of Free Miners still dig in and around
The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire but not for long
if ‘Europe’ has its way.  Earning barely a living
wage on one man plots the miners have been ordered to
pay the same mine licence fee as full size commercial
pits.  They received their Charter from Edward the
First March 30th 1296, 700 years ago this year. 
Edward was so impressed by the speed with which a
group of his soldiers undermined the walls of Berwick
Castle, that he granted them a charter to dig for coal
wherever they wished.  Any man apprenticed to a
Free-miner for a year and a day and had attained the
age of 21 could also then call himself a free-miner
and so the tradition has passed down the ages.  What
brought Edward and his men to Berwick-upon-Tweed 700
years ago and why did he order them to undermine its
walls?

“When asked where MAGNA CARTA was signed a student
once replied,  “on the bottom right hand corner?” -
his answer trailing off into a question, or so it is
claimed.  I can in fact confirm that he was right. 
When set before John Lackland at Runnymede on June
15th 1215 by his Barons,  King John did sign it on the
bottom right hand corner.  My wife’s uncle Geoffrey
Sale found a copy of King John’s ‘Great Charter’ at
King’s School Bruton when headmaster there, its
eventual sale securing the financial future of his
school.     

The charter included promise to defend the “life,
liberty and property” of the citizens of our land. 
John died of dysentery at Newark a year after
Runnymede, fighting his Barons around the area of The
Wash, supported by Dauphin Louis of France and French
mercenaries!  Before he died John had Pope Innocent
III annul Magna Carta but it was to be reissued
shortly after his son Henry III succeeded him.   
Henry was in turn succeeded by his son Edward I. 
Edward no doubt chose to ignore the letter of the
Great Charter’s law as he arrived on the outskirts of
Berwick March 30th 1296.  He rode on his favourite
horse Bayard at the head of an army estimated by
contemporary observers to comprise 30,000 foot
soldiers, 5,000 mounted men at arms and over 100
ships.  Whether or not promised civil rights, seven
hundred years ago this March, Berwick, hitherto the
foremost of the 4 original Royal Boroughs of Scotland,
was to suffer such a reversal of its former fortunes
that it was never to recover.  One historian puts it
plainly “the town was ruined for ever, and the
greatest merchant-city of Northern Britain sank from
that time into a petty seaport”

In our own time wars are conducted in front of
television cameras, we can actually view human
conflict live from our armchairs.  Northumbrian
families watched their sons and daughters fight in the
Gulf War and even now can catch up on our soldiers
progress with IFOR in former Yugoslavia, anxiously
trying to guess through the comments of journalists
what might happen next.  Reputations of Warlords are
paraded for all to see almost as they are made.  One
wonders just how much or how little the citizens of
Berwick knew of Edward’s reputation, as
they prepared to defy him and taunt him with a name. 
‘Longshanks’ was a title by which he would be known
for the rest of his days, days that many Berwickers
would not live to see. 

After witnessing the young Prince Edward attack upon
an individual, one  subject remarked “I look forward
with dread to the day when he will become King”  He
embarked upon a Crusade
to The Holy Land in 1270 where amongst other exploits
he attacked Nazereth,  the home village of Jesus,
killing everyone he found there.  Although his father
died in 1272 things had become so stable here at home
Edward did not return to be crowned until 1274. 
Determined to be seen to be King not simply in name
but also in reality, immediately after his Coronation
he focussed on what he perceived to be the four main
threats to his Kingship, the Welsh, the Jews, the
Scots and the French. 

He waged two systematic campaigns against the Welsh,
the first 1276-77 led to the overthrow of the great
Llewellyn ap Gruffyd.  Turning then to his second
perceived threat he had all Jews in Britain arrested,
hung 267 of them and banished the remainder. 
Returning to the ‘Welsh problem’ in 1282 his attacks
led to the death of the Great Llewellyn and the
capture of his brother David whom Edward had hung,
drawn and quartered at London. 

Berwick Railway station now covers the ground where
once stood the Great Hall of Edward’s castle.  There
seems a certain arrogance about the Victorians,
apparently concluding that no age had been as great
and technologically advanced as theirs and that the
world not see the like again.  Berwick Castle site
will ever remain a damning memorial to that view. 
Granted that by that time most of the castle had been
removed and used to build Berwick Parish Church and
many other fine structures, but surely they could have
refrained from ruining the site further and run the
railway by some other route.  Passengers descending
the steps to the platforms today read an impressive
plaque recording that this was where Edward held his
‘consultations’ with most of his Court over the period
1291-92 to determine who should rule Scotland.

After the death of Alexander III of Scotland the line
passed to his little grandaughter Margaret.  The
‘Maid of Norway’ as she was known was only 3 when she
became Queen and all hopes that she would marry
Edward’s  son and ‘solve the Scottish problem’ were
dashed when she died on a sea journey aged barely
eight.      Thirteen contenders for the Crown of
Scotland now surfaced, which certainly proved unlucky
for Berwick.  On advice and after skilful
manipulation Edward managed to have this list whittled
down to three, John Balliol, Robert Bruce and John
Hastings.  He obtained agreement from all three that
decision should be taken by a court assembled at
Berwick under his Kingship furthermore they all agreed
that Edward should be King of Scots until judgement
was made. 

For Edward the only serious candidate was Balliol, he
had been assured privately by a Scottish Bishop that
Balliol would prove both a good King for Scotland yet
also one loyal and subservient to the English Crown. 
The predictable decision came and Balliol declared
King.  Edward departed for Westminster happy that
Scotland was in a safe pair of hands.  It is said
that over the coming months Edward took every
opportunity to send for Balliol to show who was really
in charge of his ‘united’ Kingdom.

1294 Edward felt confident to respond robustly to
Philip of France’s impertinent attack on and
subsequent capture of Gascony.  Without any thought
in his mind that he would be refused, Edward ordered
Balliol to send an army to France in support of his
cause.  The willing but hapless Balliol was outvoted
by the Scottish nobles who marked their independence
and defiance by deporting all Englishmen of noble
birth and seeking a treaty with France.

Edward responded swiftly and Berwick entered the
cross-fire.  Balliol was ordered to declare loyalty
to Edward and refused.  He was then ordered to
surrender Berwick Castle to enable Edward to use it as
a base for an inevitable war between England &
Scotland, again he refused.
Did the Scots know of Edward’s destruction of
Nazereth, they must surely have heard of the hanging
of the Jews, the utter destruction of Wales? 
Ignorant of Edward’s reputation or foolhardy, perhaps
just fiercely confident? they began to make small
independent incursions over the border country from
coast to coast without Balliol enraging Edward - the
Die was cast.
Clearly Edward had no intention of destroying Berwick,
he needed the Town as a base, his anger was directed
further north.  Sheer frustration must have fired him
that Good Friday, for so it was with a terrible irony
that Good Friday fell on March 30th in that fateful
year of 1296. 
Sheet 3 - Revd Hughes Berwick 01289 306136

The day kept by Christians as the day of dereliction
endured by Jesus at his Crucifixion was to mark a
crucifixion of the inhabitants of Berwick.  The
Romans carried out ‘decimation’, they punished by
killing every tenth man.    Edward ‘Longshanks’ as
Berwickers named him did not decimate Berwick, he
virtually wiped out the population.  It has been
claimed that 8,000 men women and children were killed,
others put the figure as high as 15,000.  The scale
of the losses have long been a subject of debate and
some consider such numbers to be wildly overstated. 
I cannot help but look upon the present population of
Berwick today, not much greater than 700 years ago in
1296 and ponder images handed down from those who
recorded the events “the citizens fell like leaves”
“for a day and a half those of both sexes perished,
some by slaughter, some by fire”  “there was blood
enough to run the mills”  “people fled into the
Churches for protection but were slaughtered there”
with a feeling that nothing could overstate what must
have taken place over that 1296 Good Friday to Easter
Day.

The destruction and capture of Berwick can be read in
many places, suffice to say that that 30th March must
have been the blackest day in our history.  After
fortifying Berwick Edward headed north and by the end
of the year forced Balliol into surrendering the Crown
at Brechin. He appointed his own regents for Scotland
and removed the famous Coronation ‘Stone of Destiny’
from Scone Palace to Westminster where it was set into
his own Coronation Chair. This was his way, after
defeating the Welsh he triumphantly returned home
carrying the Crown of Arthur and a fragment of the
true cross.  History does not record what he brought
home from Nazereth.      March 30th marks the eve of
Palm Sunday this 1996 and I am not sure how to mark
this 700th anniversary, hardly a cause for
celebration.  I shall certainly feel the poignancy of
the anniversary, as I lead my congregation in
remembering the entry of Edward into Berwick, slaying
all before him and Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on a
donkey welcomed as a true King.  I shall certainly
pray for a healing of the pains of the past and a
hallowing of those of us who inhabit God’s present.

Berwick today is a vibrant Border Town with new
industries to stand alongside the Salmon Fishing still
practised by a few netsmen.  Pevsner once described
Berwick as “the most exciting town in England”. 
Tourists come from all over the world to visit this
unique town comprising many unique and historic
building.  Remains of Edward’s Castle, the
Elizabethan Walls considered the best preserved in
Europe and upon which Elizabeth I spent twice as much
than she spent on the whole of defence for the whole
of her reign for the whole of her realm!  Holy
Trinity Parish Church is the only one to be built in a
distinctive style at the time of Cromwell’s passing
through Berwick en route to seign Dunbar and
Edinburgh.  The original preface to The Book of
Common Prayer states:

“this book shall be used by all that officiate in all
cathedral and collegiate churches and chapels and in
all chapels of colleges and halls in both the
universities and the colleges of Eaton and Winchester
and in all parish churches and chapels within the
kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales and town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed.” - adding to our uniqueness

A journey broken for a few hours in Berwick whether
heading north or south would be well rewarded. 
Perhaps a resolution made to return for a holiday or
short break to explore a delightful Town nestling on
the north banks of The River Tweed.  The view from
the Border Railway Bridge is magnificent but only
gives a glimpse of what lies within our walls.
Museums, art galleries, The Main Guard Room restored
by The Civic Society, The Taste of Berwick exhibition
in our Barracks (the first to be built for a standing
army), the remarkable Guildhall, the Elizabethan walls
and bastions, the bridges and quayside and Parish
Church.  Not to mention the shops and restaurants -
contact our Tourist Board for information packs.

Reverend Alan Hughes
Vicar of Berwick.