The most dangerous place in Scotland

Norham Castle.  Queen of Border Fortresses.  The mighty English stronghold on a rocky outcrop on the south bank of the River Tweed...with Scotland on the other bank.  Even today its ruin is formidable.  

April 5, 2023--Grave of Sir Walter Scott, Dryburgh Abbey

Norham was claimed (by Sir Walter Scott) to have been "the most dangerous place in England," or rather at least as far as Scott's epic poem Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field goes.  There's some truth to Scott's hyperbole--Norham was besieged not less that 13 times over its existence, captured four times, and was the one castle most often attacked by Scots.

April 5, 2023--Dryburgh Abbey

First, an aside.  Walter Scott began writing Marmion in November, 1806, after his successful Lay of the Last Minstrel was published in January 1805.  Lay of the Last Minstrel was a romantic tale that received critical acclaim.  It would establish Scott's reputation as a poet and later as a novelist.  That said, the earlier anthology of Border ballads (Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, published in 1802) was also quite successful, having sold through multiple print runs.

April 5, 2023--Dryburgh Abbey

Marmion is an historical fiction, set during the Battle of Flodden Field (September 9, 1513).  Scott's protagonist, Lord Marmion, gets his mistress (Constance, a nun) to help plot the downfall of Sir Ralph de Wilton...Marmion sought to wed Wilton's fiancee, Clara.  Wilton is driven into exile.  But rather than marry Marmion, Clara joined a monastery.  

April 5, 2023--Dryburgh Abbey and Scott's grave

Constance is ultimately found out, and was walled up alive in her island convent for breaking her vows.  Before meeting her gruesome fate, Constance turned over documents proving Wilton's innocence.  Marmion was killed in battle at Flodden Field, whereas Wilton goes on to distinguish himself there, reclaiming his reputation, his land and--his fiancee.

April 6, 2023--Scott Courthouse Museum and statue, Selkirk, Scotland

Tedious perhaps, but the works of Sir Walter Scott are not all arcane.  For example, from Marmion we get the famous aphorism:  "Oh! what a tangled web we weave When first we practice to deceive!"  (Often misattributed to Shakespeare).  Marmion is also the source of the popular ballad "Lochnivar:  Lady Heron's Song."  [See: https://whitleyworldtravel.blogspot.com/2023/12/ye-olde-diversionary-amorous-attentions.html]

April 5, 2023--The Muses, at Dryburgh Abbey on River Tweed

Selling through its first edition of 2,000 copies in a month (priced at the exorbitant price of a guinea and a half), Marmion ran through twelve more printings between 1808 and 1825.  Scott would go on to author Lady of the Lake (which sold through 20,000 copies in the first year of publication), Lord of the Isles, the Waverly novels, Rob Roy, Ivanhoe and others.  Prodigious that is called.

April 8, 2023--Norham Castle

Back to Norham.  Begun in 1121 under Bishop Flambard, a "motte and bailey" wooden tower with ditches was built.  Fifteen years later, in 1136, Norham was taken by David, King of Scotland and then restored to its owner.  Two-years after that, David razed the castle to the ground claiming Northumerland in the process.  

However, in 1157, England's Henry II reclaimed Northumberland and...he began rebuilding in stone--the castle works at Bamburgh, at Newcastle and Wark-upon-Tweed.  Not to be outdone, the following year Hugh, Bishop of Durham, had a stone keep built at Norham.  The first and second stories of this keep, a part of the gatehouses and some of the curtain walls from Hugh's 1158 construction still survive to this day.

England's King John strengthened the castle from 1208 to 1212.  This effort helped it withstand a 40-day siege by Alexander II of Scotland who had invaded northern England in support of the Baron rebels in 1215.  

But perhaps the most significant event in Norham’s history occurred in May 1291.  Bishop Anthony Beck entertained Edward I at the castle while Edward arbitrated between 13 competitors for the Scottish throne.  Known as the "Great Cause," Edward's court of 104 persons discussed the rival claims for more than a year until Edward finally chose John Baliol in 1292.  

April 8, 2023--Outer Ward, Norham Castle

Three days later, Baliol paid homage to Edward in the hall at Norham.  And this ultimately led to the First War of Scottish Independence.  In 1318, Norham was besieged for an entire year by Robert Bruce, followed by a second siege for seven months the next year; both were unsuccessful.

April 8, 2023--Marmion's Gate, Norham Castle

April 8, 2023--Warehouse at Norham

In 1513, James IV invaded England, abandoning the Treaty of Perpetual Peace between England and Scotland (signed October 31, 1502) and which was in fact working well for Scotland.  Advised against it, James IV favored the Auld Alliance with France.  Thus, the chivalrous James IV invaded, despite his court.  And the favorite target was...Norham Castle.  After five days of bombardment, it succumbed to James IV's artillery...with as many as 20 large caliber guns (though it is somewhat uncertain on the total number actually brought to bear).  Apparently, the mighty "Mons Meg" cannon (22 inch) was not deployed.

James IV's court proved right.  Noham would not long be in a reduced state.  Following the Flodden Field disaster (for Scotland), Norham was immediately reoccupied and rebuilt over the next 8 years.  This time it was "stuffed with artillery"--according to Sir Robert Bowes (1542).  

April 8, 2023--Tower

By the time of the Border Survey of 1551, however, Norham's fortifications were "in much decay".  In 1559, the castle passed to the Crown when Cuthbert Tunstall, Bishop of Durham refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, meaning he would not acknowledge Queen Elizabeth I as the Head of the Church due to her protestant beliefs. 

With it, Elizabeth had something of a money pit.  In 1580, it was suggested that Norham would "fall flat to the ground" without an investment in repairing it.  Meanwhile, having fortifications work ongoing in Berwick costing vast sums of money, Queen Elizabeth finally refused to pay for Norham's further restoration in 1596.  It had outgrown its strategic purpose.  Or rather, the Union of the Crowns made it redundant.  And so Norham, Queen of Border Fortresses, was thereafter left to the elements...and quarry men.  (It was used as a cheap source of stone for building the homes in the Village of Norham.) 

In 1923, Norham passed into state care, and is a Grade I listed building as well as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.  The days of stone robbing are thankfully at an end.

April 8, 2023--Guarding the fords on River Tweed

A couple random photos to give a flavor of the place.  One of which is of the castle ovens.  The garrison had to be fed.  In any case, an interesting view with vitrified stone.

April 8, 2023--Ovens at Norham

April 8, 2023--Norham brew house foundation

Last but not least is the foundation of the castle's brew house.  The garrison was also a rather thirsty lot it seems.  Built near the castle wells.  The thought of which makes me somewhat queasy, as the photo of the wells may indicate.  But they were a hardy lot "Caroused in seas of sable beer," as Marmion put it, and "thy well-earned meed."

April 8, 2023--the castle wells

April 8, 2023--Norham Castle