The Little‑Known 14th Century Battle That Shaped English, Scottish and French Relations

On October 17, 1346, the battle of Neville’s Cross was fought outside Durham in the north-east of England. It was a decisive moment in Anglo-Scottish history that led to the capture of King David II of Scotland. Yet few have heard of it.

Other battles are far better known. Those of Stirling Bridge (1297), Falkirk (1298) and Bannockburn (1314) are more famous because of the exploits of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Similarly well-known are the successes of Edward III, the Black Prince and Henry V at Crécy (1346), Poitiers (1356) and Agincourt (1415), respectively.

Yet, less than two months after Crécy, a decisive victory was won in northern England. The battle of Neville’s Cross remains one of the least publicly known but decisive battles in English history.

As Edward III gathered a force of 15,000 men to invade France in 1346, King Philip IV of France requested Scottish aid. He wrote to King David in June and again in July: “I implore you to remember our friendship and our treaties and to strike as hard at England as you can.”

With Edward III and most of his nobles in France, Philip reassured David that England was a “defenceless void”. The opportunity was too good to miss.