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The Battle of Flodden or Flodden Field was fought in the county of Northumberland, in northern England on September 9, 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by Thomas Howard. It ended in a bloody defeat for the Scots.

Background

This conflict began when King James declared war on England, to honour the Auld Alliance; namely, to divert Henry VIII's English troops from their campaign against the French king Louis XII. England was involved in a larger conflict; defending Italy and the Pope from the French, (see Italian Wars), as a member of the "Catholic League". James of Scotland invaded England with an army of over 60,000 men. A recent book by the Scottish historian Niall Barr suggests that by the time he reached the battlefield this number had reduced considerably but this is contrary to the accepted view. He was faced by a much smaller English Army probably numbering less than 30,000.

The battle actually took place near the village of Branxton, in the county of Northumberland, rather than at Flodden — hence the alternative name of Battle of Branxton. The Scots had previously been stationed at Flodden, near to Branxton.

Battle

The battle was the climax of days of maneuvering. The English finally managed to cross the River Till, and got behind the Scottish positions. The Scots' cannon opened fire; but due to poorly-trained artillerymen, cumbersome guns and damp powder, they mostly missed. The more limber, and much better-trained, English artillerymen then returned fire, with deadly accuracy; blowing the Scottish guns and gunners off the field. The English cannons and longbowmen then concentrated a furious fire upon the pikemen of the Scottish schiltrons. This took a terrible toll, and caused the Scots to charge down the hill and relinquish the defensive high ground, in order to come to grips with the English.

In many ways, Scottish tactics had changed little since Bannockburn. They used the schiltron, a tight formation of long spears better-suited for use against cavalry charges than for infantry melees. Nevertheless, it was a formation almost impossible to penetrate if the Scots could hold it in a steady advance. Unfortunately, they suddenly came across a burn or stream that had been hidden by the lie of the land. In attempting to cross, the schiltron formations began to break down. This was, perhaps, the turning point in the battle. The English infantry rushed forward and penetrated into the Scottish line. The English were mostly armed billmen, using a devastating weapon designed to tear armour and other forms of bodily protection apart. In the bloody slogging-match that characterised such warfare, the Scots were eventually encircled, and cut to pieces.

The king, many of his nobles, and over 10,000 Scottish men were killed. The English losses are estimated at between 1,500 and 4,000.

Aftermath

Tactically, this battle was one of the first major engagements on the British Isles where artillery would play a decisive role, and one of the last decisive uses of English longbowmen.

Many of these archers were recruited from Lancashire and Cheshire. Sir Ralph Asseton raised such a company from Middleton, near Manchester. In gratitude for his safe return, he rebuilt St. Leonard's, the local parish church. It contains the unique "Flodden Window" depicting each of the archers, and the priest who accompanied them, by name in stained glass.

Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Surrey, was Lieutenant General, and was largely responsible for the Tudor victory for Henry VIII of England. Howard was subsequently restored to his father's title of "Duke of Norfolk".

Skirmishes over the English-Scottish border had been taking place for centuries; and this was perhaps the longest such "war" on record.

There was not a noble family in Scotland who did not lose at least someone at Flodden. They and the other dead are remembered by the pipe tune "The Flowers of the Forest";

We'll here nae mair lilting at our ewe milking,

Women and bairns are heartless and wae,

Sighing and moaning on a ilka green loaning,

The flowers of the forest are a wede away.

Geography

The field in which the battle was fought and the nearby countryside is an example of a drumlin swarm, with the drumlins themselves clearly visible from the field's monument.

See also

• The Percy Folio
• Selkirk Common Riding

External links

• flodden.net
• A detailed account of the battle.

• 1513
• Battles of the Italian Wars
• Battles of Scotland
• Battles of England
• History of Northumberland