Otterburn's Battlefields

Until the mid-19th century, Otterburn was a hamlet hidden away in the Northumbrian moors. The main coach route from London to Edinburgh passed through Wooler and Coldstream. By 1841, the Newcastle to Jedburgh road had been extended to Edinburgh, and Otterburn became an important staging post on that route.

The fame of Otterburn, however, rests on the battle fought there in 1388. This period was characterised by unrest along the Scottish border and frequent incursions by both English and Scots. In response to an invasion by the English three years earlier, a force of some 50,000 Scottish soldiers crossed the border in two divisions. The main force crossed near Carlisle. A smaller, diversionary force, of 300 cavalry and 2,000 foot soldiers, under the earls of Douglas, Moray and Dunbar, attacked through Northumberland.

Having reached as far south as Durham, the eastern division, laden with plunder, returned north. At Newcastle, they engaged in a series of skirmishes with a force led by the Earl of Northumberland's son, Sir Henry Percy, knicknamed Hotspur because of his lightning raids against the Scots. During one of these encounters, Douglas captured Hotspur's pennant and threatened to raise it on his own castle.

To avenge this gross insult, Hotspur pursued Douglas northward and caught up with him at Otterburn. Heavily outnumbering the Scots, Percy attacked their position on the moonlit night of 19 August. During the battle, Douglas was mortally wounded, but the Scots fought so well that Percy was captured and held to ransom. An estimated 100 Scots were killed compared with more than 1,000 English.

Otterburn became known as the battle that was won by a dead man. It inspired the ballad Chevy Chase, one of the earliest poems in the English language. Harry Hotspur, together with his father and brother helped depose Richard II and replace him with Henry IV. He later turned against the King, and died at the battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. He is also a character in Shakespeare's plays, Richard II and Henry IV.

Modern warfare also finds a place at Otterburn. In 1911, the War Office bought 19,000 acres (7,695ha) of land to the north for use as an artillery range. The Otterburn Training Area was extended during World War Two and now covers 58,000 acres (23,490ha), about one fifth of the total area of the Northumberland National Park. It is the largest firing range in the UK.

While you're there

Five miles (8km) north of Otterburn, in the village of Rochester, is Brigantium, a reconstruction by archaeologists of many of the Stone-Age, Iron-Age and Romano-British remains to be found in Northumberland. This is well worth visiting, particularly if there are children in your party. Just above the site is the Roman fort of Bremenium.

Where to eat and drink

The Percy Arms in Otterburn once offered hospitality to stagecoach passengers travelling between Newcastle and Edinburgh. It continues to provide excellent meals in a very pleasant atmosphere. The Border Reiver Shop and Coffee House is also very good for light refreshments.

What to look for

The site of the Battle of Otterburn is not known, but is thought to be somewhere near the second field you cross after leaving the village. The remains of Percy's Cross, which commemorates the event, can be seen in the small conifer wood at the bottom of this field, to your left, where the field adjoins the A696. There is a car park in the wood.