The Battle of Otterburn and Elsdon church, Northumberland
- Michael Smith
- 16 hours ago
- 8 min read
In August 1388, a tired and ill-prepared army led by Sir Henry Percy ("Hotspur"), the eldest son of the Earl of Northumberland, was defeated by a slightly smaller Scottish force outside Otterburn in Redesdale. Today, the monument known as Percy's Cross still survives to commemorate the battle, and the nearby church of St Cuthbert at Elmsdon also holds secrets of its own.
The context of the battle of Otterburn
The Battle of Otterburn is best seen in the context of Richard II's conflict with the Lords Appellant, in which leading nobles of kingdom sought to contain the powers of a king they saw as a tyrant.
While one of the north's leading nobles, Ralph Neville, was stripped of his power, the Percy family's control of the north was extended by the king. Aware of the chaos in the kingdom, and in return for an incursion into Scotland by Richard II in 1385, two Scottish armies were assembled to invade England.
Contemporary chroniclers estimated the size of the combined Scottish force to be around 40,000 strong. The largest army, comprising the vast majority of the invading force, was lead by the Earl of Fife and made for Carlisle along the main western route south.
A much smaller force, perhaps 6,000 strong and led by James, Earl Douglas, made for Durham. It was in response to this force that the Earl of Northumberland sent his two sons, Henry (Harry Hotspur) and Ralph, north to Newcastle.
It was outside Newcastle that Hotspur's pennon was stolen during a skirmish. Hotspur vowed to reclaim it. Retreating towards Scotland, Douglas gave him the opportunity by offering battle at Otterburn, where his army had stopped following a vain attempt to seize Otterburn Castle (rebuilt as a stately home in later years and currently a hotel).
Hotspur's army, numbering approximately 8000 men, wasted little time in coming to battle.
The battle of Otterburn, 1388
The battle of Otterburn (also known as the battle of Chevy Chase) is thought to have taken place in August 1388; the date itself is cited variously as the 5th August (Scottish sources) and the 19th August (English).
What is not in doubt is that the battle occurred when Hotspur, impetuously, decided to attack the Scottish army almost immediately upon his arrival at Otterburn, despite it being late afternoon.
His force tired from a long march (presumably over several days) from Newcastle, some thirty or so miles to the South East. Arriving late in the day, the army was also disorganised and not in full battle order.
Sources suggest the Scots were camped on marshy ground between the river Rede on one flank and high ground on the other, seemingly covered in scrub and trees. They had sufficient time to make good use of both vegetation and bushes in the preparation of shelters for themselves.
Despite this, other sources suggest the Scots were not immediately prepared for battle themselves and many were sufficiently relaxed as to be dressed in civilian clothes and ready for the Feast of St Oswald.
Percy, rather than await the arrival of his whole army, decided to attack. Notwithstanding, and despite his impetuosity, he had a plan for how to conduct the battle to come, suggestive of local knowledge or scouts informing him of the whereabouts of the Scottish forces.
His battle plan involved a main attack from the east with an outflanking manoeuvre under Sir Matthew Redman designed to cut off a Scottish retreat to the west.
The Scots, too, had a similar plan. The army was split seemingly into two camps, one on the lower, marshier ground and the other on higher ground to the flank. Douglas, on this upper ground, would also engage in a flank attack from here against the English.
The battle itself - orchestrated manoeuvres in the dark
The light by now was fading. What happened next is unclear but it seems that the attack from the East (the direction of Otterburn and Otterburn Tower) occurred initially against the servant men of the Scottish army rather than the army as a whole.
The cries of the servants alerted the main force, under John Dunbar, Earl of Moray, and gave him valuable time in which to be able to organise his troops.
Douglas, from the higher ground, was able to manoeuvre a force either around this higher ground or, more likely, by crossing through its trees and bushes to emerge on Percy's right flank.
It is unclear how Douglas's force missed the Redman's flanking force heading in the opposite direction. The explanation appears to be that the English force took a wider route which may have attempted to use a ridge in the landscape to avoid being seen.
The result was that neither flanking force was known to the opposing side. Both forces achieved their objectives but the outcome for each side was different.
Despite the chaos of being outflanked, the English were able to rally at a point perhaps 180 yards to the east of the monument known today as Percy's Cross. But it seems that by then he damage was done and Hotspur, and his brother, surrendered to Sir John Montgomery.
While the Scottish manoeuvre was a success, Douglas himself was killed in the fighting, a fact which only came to light later on. Had this been known sooner, events may have turned in favour of Percy's forces and he may then have been rescued by his own men.
It is unclear what became of Redman's force despite being seemingly successful in its own objectives. Redman himself was captured his men may have been caught up in the main melee and succumbed to defeat when it was clear that the battle was lost.
The outcome of the battle
The legacy and significance of the battle of Otterburn is difficult to assess clearly. The English lost perhaps 1500 men while the Scots maybe 200.
Arguably, with Percy's two sons taken prisoner, the north of England was weakened and this may explain England's subsequent truce with France, Scotland's long term ally against a common foe. M H Keen described it as a glorious achievement by Douglas.
Certainly, the battle, and Richard II's earlier failed forays into Scotland, highlighted that England's northern flank was severely prejudiced and difficult to control.
Tangentially, this can be observed in a number of medieval romances which appeared in the late fourteenth and early fifteenth century, such as the Awntyrs off Arthure. The unstable border country and its dangers are never far away from the action in these narratives.
The battlefield today
The battlefield today is remarkably atmospheric although roads and field systems are different to how they would have seemed in the fourteenth century and the valley bottom is not so marshy. Notwithstanding, the boundaries of the field itself are still clear.
Although Percy's Cross is today situated some 180 yards or so way from the original battle stone erected shortly after the battle, we can still sense where the core fighting took place.
The story of the monument is of interest. When a new turnpike road was built in the eighteenth century, the Duke of Northumberland wished to commemorate his ancestor with a new monument.
The landowner refused permission and undertook to build the monument himself, moving what was previously known as the Battle Stone to its current position so that it could be visible from the road..
The current Percy's Cross utilises the socket for the original stone but incorporates a lintel from the kitchen from the now demolished Otterburn Tower. The lintel itself is of a curious shape, resembling the head of an old soldering iron.
The church of St Cuthbert at Elsdon
It is thought that Percy's army, on its way from Newcastle, passed through the village of Elsdon, perhaps some four miles to the east of the battlefield. Today, the church of St. Cuthbert is thought to show evidence of its stones being used by soldiers of Percy's army to sharpen their weapons.
Whether this is true or not, the church contains a number of fascinating artefacts which are well worth seeing, despite two somewhat unsympathetic restorations of the church undertaken by the Victorians in the 1830s and again in the 1870s..
Perhaps the most famous of these is the Elsdon Stone, which, uniquely, relates the military career of Manes, a former Roman officer.
Other features of note at the church include a number of early grave slabs, as well at two medieval stone coffins propped up against the western wall of the church on the outside.
But, like the chapel of St. Mary's at Lead, near Towton, the most haunting feature of the church is its place in the minds of men prior to a dramatic battle.
The simple bellcote of both churches, despite being much later architectural accretions, nonetheless possess a certain melancholy today in the way they stand so near to such fields of death, reminding us in many ways of the haunting words of John Donne,
"... Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee."
Gallery
The gallery below provides more photographs of the battlefield on Otterburn as well as details of Esldon church.
Panoramic view of the Battlefield View towards the lower ground View towards the upper ground and ridge Display board near Percy's Cross An outline plan of the key layout of forces at the Battle of Otterburn Gable end of St Oswald's church, Elsdon St Cuthbert's Church, Elsdon Press cuttings - were these the scratched made by Percy's men sharpening their weapons? More scratches in the stone This is Your Life, Roman style! The Esldon Stone The Elsdon Stone translated Triple Sedilia Beauty in simplicity - a window from within A grave slab Two grave slabs - see next image for more information Two grave slabs - one marked to show faint impression of man at prayer This church pillar seems at odds with the majority of the architecture at Elsdon. Is it earlier? Early work - early medieval carved stones now mounted in the church wall
More information about the Battle of Otterburn and Elsdon church
In compiling this blog post I am indebted to the information provided from a number of sources, the most salient of which are as follows:
Medieval battle in all its gory detail - order your copy of The Alliterative Morte Arthure (King Arthur's Death)
My translation of the Alliterative Morte Arthure (King Arthur's Death) was published in 2021. My publisher is Wilton Square Books.
The narrative is virtually contemporary with the Battle of Otterburn and vividly portrays the nature of medieval warfare during this period. Telling the story of King Arthur's ultimately doomed attempt to defeat the Roman emperor and take Rome itself, the narrative is also a deep reflection on medieval warfare, its methods and purpose - and how things, as they did for Percy, can go seriously wrong when vanity and pride overtake justice and commonsense in the effecting of war.
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About the author, Michael Smith
I am a British translator and illustrator of medieval literature. I am also an established printmaker, with work in private collections worldwide.
My books, including translations of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Alliterative Morte Arthure, and William of Palerne, are published by Wilton Square Books and are available through all the usual outlets. All my books feature my own linocut prints as their illustrations.
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