Berwick-upon-Tweed

Unless you're on the east, the eastern side of England, which I can't seem to find on a map, not looking quite so soggy today.

Yes, and over towards Emma, Berwick-upon-Tweed, we have about 10 degrees Celsius happening.

As we progress down the centre of the UK, it gets progressively warmer, so you might not need that coat after all.

Barnstable, Camborne, looking nice and balmy at a solid 14 degrees.

A.D. 1319.

After the Battle of Bannockburn, the whole of Scotland regained its ancient freedom, saving only the border town and fortress of Berwick.

the security of which was zealously guarded by the unfortunate son of the terrible Hammer of Scotland.

The severe and even harsh discipline to which the Burghers were subjected by the commandant of the fortress caused much dissatisfaction, and one of the inhabitants, a Burgess named Spalding, proposed, in the bitterness of his heart, to betray the place into the hands of the Scottish monarch.

for sporting it may be said that his action was probably more patriotic than treacherous as he was married to a scottish woman and was doubtless himself of the same nationality this loss was severely felt by the english and was bitterly resented by king edward it was followed by a dreadful invasion of the northern provinces of england when Northallerton, Boroughbridge, and Skipton and Craven were committed to the flames, and Ripon only secured immunity from a similar visitation by the payment of a ransom of one thousand marks.

The unhappy people were utterly without protection, and the Scots leisurely returned to their own country, driving their miserable captives before them like flocks of sheep.

Involved with his barons in those wretched complications which embittered his reign, Edward II was so mortified by the loss of Berwick, that he hastily came to an arrangement with the malcontents, and raising his banner, prepared to invade Scotland, and attempt the recovery of the town and fortress which had so suddenly passed out of his possession.

The Royal Army assembled at Newcastle in the month of July, and being very strong, Edward was hopeful of bringing the expedition to a successful termination.

Instructions were now issued to the Earl Marshal for a levy of troops from England Wales and Ireland to meet the king at Newcastle and leave was given to the inhabitants of Northumberland Cumberland and Durham to drive their flocks southward out of the reach of Scotch marauders and pasture them in the royal forests.

Berwick-on-Tweed was the key of Scotland its commanding border position and massive fortress made it like Ramah of Benjamin in ancient times a constant object of acquisition in war and a frequent scene of international struggles.

Edward I had taken it in 1296 but it was recovered from his successor by Robert Bruce who had doubled the strength of his fortifications and occupied it with a strong Scottish garrison.

Edward marched straight upon Berwick and commenced a siege which after two months of fierce assault and gallant resistance was turned into a blockade.

The garrison reduced to extremities made an agreement to surrender on July 20th if not previously relieved either by an army or by a force of two hundred strong cutting their way through the besiegers' lines without a loss of more than thirty men.

On July 19th to the delight of the beleaguered fortress Sir Archibald Douglas now regent of Scotland in Bruce's name and in succession to the ill-starred Earl of Mar appeared before Berwick at the head of an army originally destined for a raid into Northumberland.

The Scotch considerably outnumbered the investing force but the English were strongly posted to the north of the town on Halidon Hill a position which as all they had to do was to prevent the Scotch from entering and relieving Berwick they were in no hurry to abandon.

It had been Sir Archibald's intention to adhere to the traditional tactics which his countrymen had found so efficacious in former campaigns and avoiding a general engagement to harass the enemy by perpetual skirmishing.

There are few more remarkable phenomena in the political or social life of Scotland than what is familiarly known as border reiving.

In olden times it prevailed along the whole line of the borders from Berwick to the Solway, embracing the counties of Berwick, Roxburgh, Selkirk, Peebles, and Dumfries.

During a period of some three or four hundred years these districts were chiefly inhabited by hordes of moss troopers, who made it the chief business of their lives to harry and despoil their English neighbors.

On every convenient opportunity the Scottish reivers crossed the border and carried off whatever came readiest to hand—horses, cows, sheep, insight and outside—nothing coming amiss to them unless it was either too heavy or too hot.

His way was now open for applying more drastic measures.

He raised a powerful army and invaded Scotland.

The town of Berwick was then an important center of commerce, and he was determined at all hazards to make himself master of the city.

Quote, He dispatched a large division with orders to assault the town, choosing a line of march which concealed them from the citizens, and he commanded his fleet to enter the river at the same moment that the great body of the army, led by himself, were ready to storm.

Getting some jockeys.

When Britain declared war on Russia in 1854, the paperwork included Britain, Ireland, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

That's it.

And all British dominions.