9. Help! The Scots are Coming

Autumn 1322.  Standing on the outskirts of their town, the inhabitants of Hull gazed across the flat, empty landscape right to the horizon.  Squinting, they could make out flickering orange light coming from High Hunsley, 10 miles to the north-west.  This light came from bonfires belonging to a Scottish army who just a few weeks before had sent the English king fleeing for his life at the Battle of Byland.  Now, buoyant from their victory, they gathered around the fires grilling oatcakes, reminiscing about haggis hunts, and planning future raids on English settlements.

The war between England and Scotland had been carrying on intermittently ever since Edward I had invaded his northern neighbour in 1296.  Initially both sides were evenly matched and each enjoyed their share of victories and defeats.  By 1306 though Edward I was ailing and Robert the Bruce felt strong enough crown himself King of Scotland.  At Bannockburn in 1314 the Bruce’s army won a resounding victory over an English army of twice its size.

Proudly leading the English in their defeat at Bannockburn was the rather ineffectual new king Edward II.  Edward was far to busy arguing with his barons to do much to halt the Scottish advance and by 1318 Robert had captured the key border town of Berwick.  Bands of Scottish troops regularly undertook raids into England, burning and attacking whatever lay in their path be it village, town or even monastery.  They completely devastated the countryside north of York and Carlisle before then raising their aspirations and venturing as far south as Lancashire and the West Riding. 

With the English army busy trying to regain the strategically important Berwick, other towns in danger were left to fend for themselves.  Hull made plans for a new defensive wall to encircle the town.  There was already a ditch but while that provided sterling protection against wandering animals, it would be of little use against marauding Scots.  Although the king did give his permission for Hull to construct a crenelated ‘wall of stone and lime’, he didn’t provide any money to do so.  The citizens of Hull were expected to pay for it themselves.

In the event, despite the fact they were so close, the Scottish troops left Hull alone in 1322.  Maybe Hull was seen as too strong to attack.  Maybe for once the tendency of people to view Hull as a ‘bit too much out of the way to bother visiting’ worked in its favour.  Many nearby towns though were not so lucky and Bridlington, Beverley and Driffield were forced to pay for the privilege of not being destroyed.

Picture: Beginning of Letters Patent of 1321 from Edward II giving Hull permission to build a fortified wall.  Text taken from Boyle, J R (ed.) Charters and letters patent granted to Kingston upon Hull.