Battle of Stirling Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Stirling Bridge was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence
. On 11 September 1297, the forces of Andrew Moray
and William Wallace
defeated the combined English
forces of John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey and Hugh de Cressingham
near Stirling
, on the River Forth
.
at the Battle of Dunbar
and his belief that he was now dealing with a rabble seems to have affected his judgment. The small bridge at Stirling was only broad enough to allow two horsemen to cross abreast. The Scots deployed in a commanding position dominating the soft, flat ground to the north of the river. Sir Richard Lundie, a Scots knight who joined the English after the capitulation at Irvine
, offered to outflank the enemy by leading a cavalry force over a nearby ford
, where sixty horsemen could cross at the same time. Hugh Cressingham
, King Edward
's treasurer in Scotland, was anxious to avoid any unnecessary expense in prolonging the war and he persuaded the Earl to reject this advice and order a direct attack across the bridge.
The Scots waited as the English knights and infantry made their slow progress across the bridge on the morning of 11 September. The disorderly Scottish army of 1296 was gone: Wallace and Moray's hold over their men was tight. They had held back earlier in the day when many of the English and Welsh archers had crossed, only to be recalled because de Warenne had overslept. The two commanders now waited, according to the Chronicle of Hemingburgh, until "as many of the enemy had come over as they believed they could overcome." When the vanguard, comprising 5,400 English and Welsh infantry plus several hundred cavalry, had crossed the Bridge, the attack was ordered. The Scots spearmen came down from the high ground in rapid advance towards Stirling Bridge, quickly seizing control of the English bridgehead. De Warenne's vanguard was now cut off from the rest of the army. The heavy cavalry to the north of the river was trapped and cut to pieces, their comrades to the south powerless to help Hugh de Cressingham, whose body was subsequently flayed and the skin cut into small pieces as tokens of the victory. The Lanercost Chronicle
records that Wallace had "a broad strip [of Cressingham’s skin] ... taken from the head to the heel, to make therewith a baldric
k for his sword". Losses among the infantry, many of them Welsh
, were also high. Those who could throw off their armour swam across the river.
De Warenne, who still had a formidable contingent of archers, had remained to the south of the river and was still in a strong position. The bulk of his army still remained intact and he could have held the line of the Forth, denying the triumphant Scots a passage to the south: but his confidence was gone. After the escape of Sir Marmaduke Tweng
, an English knight from Yorkshire, de Warenne ordered the bridge's destruction and retreated towards Berwick, leaving the garrison at Stirling Castle
isolated and abandoning the Lowlands to the rebels. James Stewart
, the High Steward of Scotland, and Malcolm, Earl of Lennox
, whose forces had been part of Surrey's army, observing the carnage to the north of the bridge, withdrew. Then the English supply train was attacked at The Pows, a wooded marshy area, by James Stewart and the other Scots lords, killing many of the fleeing soldiers.
The site of the battle is believed to have been significantly upstream of the present-day Stirling Bridge, which was only built some time later.. The piers of the older wooden bridge are close to the 15th century stone "Old Stirling Bridge" , which is upstream of the modern road and rail bridges.
Contemporary English chronicler Walter of Guisborough recorded the English losses in the battle as 100 cavalry and 5,000 infantry killed. Scottish casualties in the battle are unrecorded, with the exception of Andrew Moray. He appears to have been injured in the battle and died of his injuries around November.
Wallace went on to lead a destructive raid into northern England which did little to advance the Scots objectives, whatever effect it had on the morale in his army. By March 1298 he had emerged as Guardian of Scotland
. His glory was brief, for King Edward himself was coming north from Flanders
. The two men finally met on the field of Falkirk
in the summer of 1298, where Wallace was defeated.
, but it bears little resemblance to the real battle, there being no bridge (due mainly to the difficulty of filming around the bridge itself) and the tactics resembling the Battle of Bannockburn
. The main strategic events of the battle (but obviously not the detail) are followed in Robyn Young
's novel Requiem
.
First War of Scottish Independence
The First War of Scottish Independence lasted from the invasion by England in 1296 until the de jure restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton in 1328...
. On 11 September 1297, the forces of Andrew Moray
Andrew Moray
Andrew Moray , also known as Andrew de Moray, Andrew of Moray, or Andrew Murray, was a prominent military leader of patriotic forces during the Scottish Wars of Independence. He led the rising in northern Scotland in the summer of 1297 against the occupation by King Edward I of England,...
and William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
defeated the combined English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
forces of John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey and Hugh de Cressingham
Hugh de Cressingham
Hugh de Cressingham was the treasurer of the English administration in Scotland during 1296-97. He was hated by the Scots and did not seem well liked even by the English. He was an advisor to John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey at the Battle of Stirling Bridge...
near Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
, on the River Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...
.
The main battle
John de Warenne had won an easy victory over the aristocracy of ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
at the Battle of Dunbar
Battle of Dunbar (1296)
The Battle of Dunbar was the only significant field action in the campaign of 1296. King Edward I of England had invaded Scotland in 1296 to punish King John Balliol for his refusal to support English military action in France.-Background:...
and his belief that he was now dealing with a rabble seems to have affected his judgment. The small bridge at Stirling was only broad enough to allow two horsemen to cross abreast. The Scots deployed in a commanding position dominating the soft, flat ground to the north of the river. Sir Richard Lundie, a Scots knight who joined the English after the capitulation at Irvine
Irvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
, offered to outflank the enemy by leading a cavalry force over a nearby ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
, where sixty horsemen could cross at the same time. Hugh Cressingham
Hugh de Cressingham
Hugh de Cressingham was the treasurer of the English administration in Scotland during 1296-97. He was hated by the Scots and did not seem well liked even by the English. He was an advisor to John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey at the Battle of Stirling Bridge...
, King Edward
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
's treasurer in Scotland, was anxious to avoid any unnecessary expense in prolonging the war and he persuaded the Earl to reject this advice and order a direct attack across the bridge.
The Scots waited as the English knights and infantry made their slow progress across the bridge on the morning of 11 September. The disorderly Scottish army of 1296 was gone: Wallace and Moray's hold over their men was tight. They had held back earlier in the day when many of the English and Welsh archers had crossed, only to be recalled because de Warenne had overslept. The two commanders now waited, according to the Chronicle of Hemingburgh, until "as many of the enemy had come over as they believed they could overcome." When the vanguard, comprising 5,400 English and Welsh infantry plus several hundred cavalry, had crossed the Bridge, the attack was ordered. The Scots spearmen came down from the high ground in rapid advance towards Stirling Bridge, quickly seizing control of the English bridgehead. De Warenne's vanguard was now cut off from the rest of the army. The heavy cavalry to the north of the river was trapped and cut to pieces, their comrades to the south powerless to help Hugh de Cressingham, whose body was subsequently flayed and the skin cut into small pieces as tokens of the victory. The Lanercost Chronicle
Lanercost Chronicle
The Lanercost Chronicle is a northern English and Scottish history covering the years 1201 to 1346. It covers the Wars of Scottish Independence, but it is also highly tangential and as such provides insights into English life in the thirteenth century as well as Scottish life...
records that Wallace had "a broad strip [of Cressingham’s skin] ... taken from the head to the heel, to make therewith a baldric
Baldric
A baldric is a belt worn over one shoulder that is typically used to carry a weapon or other implement such as a bugle or drum...
k for his sword". Losses among the infantry, many of them Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, were also high. Those who could throw off their armour swam across the river.
De Warenne, who still had a formidable contingent of archers, had remained to the south of the river and was still in a strong position. The bulk of his army still remained intact and he could have held the line of the Forth, denying the triumphant Scots a passage to the south: but his confidence was gone. After the escape of Sir Marmaduke Tweng
Marmaduke Tweng
Sir Marmaduke Tweng was an English knight from Yorkshire who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence.He fought on the English side at the Battle of Stirling Bridge and the Battle of Bannockburn. He achieved some fame at Stirling Bridge by a heroic escape...
, an English knight from Yorkshire, de Warenne ordered the bridge's destruction and retreated towards Berwick, leaving the garrison at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
isolated and abandoning the Lowlands to the rebels. James Stewart
James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland
James, 5th High Steward of Scotland was High Steward of Scotland and a Guardian of Scotland during the First Interregnum.-Birth and ancestry:...
, the High Steward of Scotland, and Malcolm, Earl of Lennox
Maol Choluim I, Earl of Lennox
Mormaer Maol Choluim I of Lennox ruled the Mormaerdom of Lennox, between 1250 and 1303.He was an early supporter of the Bruces, and appeared before Edward I of England in 1292 amongst the supporters of Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale...
, whose forces had been part of Surrey's army, observing the carnage to the north of the bridge, withdrew. Then the English supply train was attacked at The Pows, a wooded marshy area, by James Stewart and the other Scots lords, killing many of the fleeing soldiers.
The site of the battle is believed to have been significantly upstream of the present-day Stirling Bridge, which was only built some time later.. The piers of the older wooden bridge are close to the 15th century stone "Old Stirling Bridge" , which is upstream of the modern road and rail bridges.
Aftermath
The Battle of Stirling Bridge was a shattering defeat for the English: it showed that under certain circumstances infantry could be superior to cavalry. It was to be some time, though, before this lesson was fully absorbed.Contemporary English chronicler Walter of Guisborough recorded the English losses in the battle as 100 cavalry and 5,000 infantry killed. Scottish casualties in the battle are unrecorded, with the exception of Andrew Moray. He appears to have been injured in the battle and died of his injuries around November.
Wallace went on to lead a destructive raid into northern England which did little to advance the Scots objectives, whatever effect it had on the morale in his army. By March 1298 he had emerged as Guardian of Scotland
Guardian of Scotland
The Guardians of Scotland were the de facto heads of state of Scotland during the First Interregnum of 1290–1292, and the Second Interregnum of 1296–1306...
. His glory was brief, for King Edward himself was coming north from Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. The two men finally met on the field of Falkirk
Battle of Falkirk
The Battle of Falkirk, which took place on 22 July 1298, was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence...
in the summer of 1298, where Wallace was defeated.
The battle in fiction
The Battle of Stirling Bridge is depicted in the 1995 film BraveheartBraveheart
Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
, but it bears little resemblance to the real battle, there being no bridge (due mainly to the difficulty of filming around the bridge itself) and the tactics resembling the Battle of Bannockburn
Battle of Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scottish victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence...
. The main strategic events of the battle (but obviously not the detail) are followed in Robyn Young
Robyn Young
Robyn Young is an English author of historical fiction. She is most widely known for her Brethren trilogy, set in the Middle Ages...
's novel Requiem
Requiem (Young novel)
Requiem is a novel by Robyn Young set during the end of the ninth and final crusade. It was first published by E.P. Dutton in 2008.-Plot summary:...
.