The English victory secured Berwick and reinstalled Edward Balliol as king, shaping the course of the Second War of Scottish Independence.
Key Facts
- Date
- 19 July 1333
- English commander
- King Edward III
- Scottish commander
- Sir Archibald Douglas
- English pursuit distance
- 8 miles (13 km)
- Berwick surrender
- 20 July 1333, the day after the battle
- Conflict
- Second War of Scottish Independence
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Edward Balliol seized the Scottish Crown from the young David II with covert English backing, prompting a popular Scottish uprising that expelled Balliol. Edward III used this as a pretext to invade Scotland in 1333, besieging the strategically vital border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed from March of that year.
A large Scottish army under Sir Archibald Douglas advanced to relieve Berwick and attacked the English forces of Edward III, who held a strong defensive position. English longbowmen inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing Scots; when they reached the English infantry the fight was brief. Scottish formations collapsed and the men-at-arms pursued the fleeing Scots for 8 miles, killing many including Douglas and much of the senior Scottish nobility.
Berwick surrendered the day after the battle. Balliol was reinstated as king after ceding territory to Edward III and doing homage for the rest. He was repeatedly deposed and restored until the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War in 1337 allowed David II to consolidate power. A truce following the 1346 Battle of Neville's Cross ultimately lasted four decades and ended the Second War of Scottish Independence.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
King Edward III of England.
Side B
1 belligerent
Sir Archibald Douglas.