| |
|
|
Wark Castle: Border Warfare in the 12th-16th Centuries
There had been intermittent warfare throughout the 12th century but it began in earnest when Edward I sought to
control the Scottish crown following the death of Alexander III in 1286. John Balliol, the successor to the crown,
allied himself with France, provoking an invasion of Scotland by Edward in 1295. This was followed by attack and
counter attack, during which the border lands were ravaged and pillaged. In the
mid-14th century there was a lull in formal warfare as England was more occupied by affairs in France. Border warfare
continued but its nature changed, becoming predominantly small scale raiding on both sides.
The poverty of the area, and the fact that there was little effective control from central government, allowed the
development of reiving. Powerful families established a way of life dependant on raiding and rustling, from which no
community was safe. Formal warfare between the two crowns continued against this
backdrop during the 16th century and it was only with the Union of the Crowns in 1603 that peace gradually started to
return to the region.
Find out about the Motte and Bailey Castle, the Later Castle or return to
the Home Page.
|
|
|
 |
