The Battle of Flodden Field

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Events of the 9th September 1513

(Also known as the Battle of Branxton Moor)

Flodden Field is one of the best preserved Battlefields in the whole of northern Europe. Farmland now covers the site and the village of Branxton has not expanded onto the area of conflict. The photographs on this page show the Battlefield and the immediate surroundings and how the two armies came to meet in this remote part of Northumberland.

If you click on any picture it will expand and you will find a brief description and its relevance to the Battle.

James IV's Scottish Army occupies the advantageous defensive position on Flodden Hill. His heavy guns are well placed and trained over Milfield Plain, this being the obvious line of attack from the Earl of Surrey's English army approaching from the south.

Flodden Hill looking from the north West.
The Scots fortified this ridge and emplaced their guns in defensive positions. They had to move from here when it was realized that Surrey had outflanked this position.

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Branxton Hill from Flodden Hill.
This view shows the route the Scots took to their new defensive position on Branxton Hill as Surrey and the English approached from the north.

Flodden Hill and Branxton Hill from the air.
Flodden Hill is marked by the arrow shaped woodland to the left of the picture. The Flodden Monument is marked by the white arrow.

Flodden Hill (the wooded hill on the centre horizon) as seen from the crossing point of the River Till near Ford Castle.
The smaller wooded area on the horizon to the right of Flodden Hill is known as The King’s Chair.

Looking south from Flodden Hill over Milfield Plain.
It was on this plain that Surrey at first offered battle, but was refused. James had fortified Flodden Hill and had placed many of his guns to cover the expected attack from this direction.

Surrey, having camped at Barmoor on 8th September, moves north to outflank the Scots and, after crossing the River Till at Twizel, most the English forces come from the North, cutting off the Scots retreat to their homeland.

The view looking north from Branxton Hill.
Surrey approached the Battle over this ground from Twizel Bridge some four miles to the north of here. The line of trees in the middle foreground marks the marshy ground that halted the advance of the Scottish pikes. It was probably near here that King James IV met his death..

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This shows the valley to the north of Branxton Village.
The English had to avoid the Palinsburn beck and the boggy ground in the bottom of this valley as they made their approach to the Battlefield. This bit of ground cannot be seen from the Scottish position on Branxton Hill.

Looking north from the Flodden Monument.
It is probable that the English van under Edmund Howard approached Battle over this ground. Dacre’s light cavalry later came to Howard’s rescue as they galloped through the valley in the foreground, unseen by the Scots

James is forced to relinquish his excellent defensive position on Flodden Hill, and moves to confront the approaching English. He loses the advantage of well-prepared gun emplacements. In the opening artillery duel the heavy Scottish guns are out-performed by the lighter English field guns.

Branxton Hill from the Flodden Monument.
The Scots were in position along Branxton Hill as the English formed up for Battle. The opening artillery exchange was probably here. The boggy ground in the valley in the middle foreground is where the Scottish Pikes were halted and then suffered at the hands of the English billhooks.

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Branxton Hill as seen from the Killing Fields in the valley to the south of Branxton.
This was the position of the Scottish Centre, and it was down these slopes that King James descended to his death.

The westerly end of Branxton Hill.
Hume and Huntley’s Pikes descended these more gentle slopes to engage Edmund Howard and to come close to winning this first encounter and perhaps the day for Scotland. The marshy ground did not extend so far to the west.

A group of local historians having the Battle explained on Branxton Hill.
The steep northern slope of Branxton Hill can be seen.

This shows the marshy valley just south of Branxton and the high ground of Branxton Hill.
The lower ridge in the foreground gave the English the height advantage when the Scots became trapped in the mud and marsh.

Home and Huntley are first to engage the English. They descend the hill with their pike formations intact and, in the first engagement of the day, rout Edmund Howard's forces.

Hume and Huntley attacked down these slopes to engage Edmund Howard on the flatter ground.
The Flodden Monument is on Piper’s Hill in the centre middle ground and the village of Branxton can be seen to the right. The remainder of the Scottish army cannot be seen from here, nor can the valley to the north of Branxton through which help came for the beleaguered Edmund Howard.

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Branxton Hill from the Monument
This view shows the valley between the opposing armies and how the slope of Branxton Hill becomes more gentle to the west and so makes it more suitable for the advancing Scottish Pikes.

Looking west from the Flodden Monument.
Hume and Huntley descended here to engage Edmund Howard on the flatter ground. Two early 1500s cannon balls were recently found near here.

At present the steps up to the Flodden Monument are not suitable for wheelchair access, but there are some intrepid explorers ready to prove this to be incorrect!
Plans to improve access are in hand.

The Flodden Monument at sunset.

The day is saved for the English by the intervention of Dacre's cavalry. Home repairs to the high ground to regroup. He takes no further part in the fighting, and for this, he subsequently loses his head.

The flatter ground to the west of the Flodden Monument is from where Edmund Howard saw the advancing Pikes of Hume and Huntley.
If the Scots had managed to overcome this English position they would have been able to advance on the English right flank and catch The Lord Admiral and The Earl of Surrey in a pincer movement. The outcome of the day might have been very different.

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This view from the Flodden Monument shows Branxton Church at the western end of the village.
Dacre’s horses moved through the valley to rescue Edmund Howard and save the day for England.

The Valley north of Branxton is hidden from the Scots.

The treacherous ground in the valley to the north of Branxton still floods to this day.
The English had to avoid this when moving to their battle positions, and Dacre had to choose firm ground on his way to save Edmund Howard.

Errol, Crawford and Montrose now descend Branxton Hill to take on The Lord Admiral. The pike columns stumble in the marshy ground, lose their essential formation and are decimated by English longbows and billhooks.

Looking north from the Scottish Centre position on Branxton Hill.
The boggy ground in the valley is not apparent and from here the ridge on which the Village of Branxton lies does not appear to hold any advantage. The valley to the north of the village is not visible from here and Dacre’s light cavalry cannot be seen as they move to support Edmund Howard.

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The valley in the immediate foreground is where the Pikes of Erroll, Crawford and Montrose were halted by the mud and marsh and fell prey to the English Billhooks.

After descending from a secure position on the heights of Branxton Hill the Sccots are halted by the mud and marsh in the valley bottom of the Killing Fields.
The Scots are now assailed first by arrows and then by the Billhook from the higher ground that the English hold.

The marshy ground at the foot of Branxton hill – the Killing Fields where the worst of the slaughter took place.

The Scottish Pikes descended the slopes of Branxton Hill to exchange an almost unassailable position for confusion and slaughter in the marshy valley bottom.

James, unable to control his forces, follows down the steep slope of Branxton Hill and his forces meet a similar fate in the marshy ground.

This road marks the line of King James’s descent from Branxton Hill. James was probably killed near to the line of trees in the valley.

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It was down this northern face of Branxton Hill that James descended to his death.

English cannonball found on the Battlefield.
This is a typical Tudor cannonball, a core made of a cube of iron and cast round with lead.The ball weighs about 1 ¼ lbs and has obviously incurred damage either in battle or later during agricultural work.

Firing a replica English field gun similar in size and type to the English guns used at Flodden.

Wet weather on the Killing Fields.
In spite of having been drained the valley below Branxton Hill still floods during prolonged wet weather.

The later arrival of Stanley from an easterly direction ensures that Lennox and Argylle are fully occupied and unable to rescue their kind, leaving the day to Surrey.

Looking east from the Scottish positions on Branxton Hill.
As the Battle reached its height, Stanley with his archers appeared through these fields and caught the lightly armoured Highlanders in a devastating flanking attack. This was probably the last really effective use of the English longbow in warfare.

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Ford Bridge over the River Till.
Perhaps Stanley crossed the river near here. In 1513 there was no bridge and Fording the river might have been the reason for Stanley’s late arrival at the Battle.

Etal Castle which was taken by the Scots prior to Flodden can be seen at the right hand end of Etal Village in the centre of the photograph.
There are still remains of a medieval bridge near the castle and it was to here that captured Scottish guns were brought after the Battle.

Site of the ancient bridge at Etal Castle.
This bridge collapsed around 1540 – could it have been weakened by the passage of the captured heavy Scottish guns after the Battle of Flodden?

There are several reasons for the outcome of this battle. The artillery pieces of the English were lighter, but of a higher muzzle velocity than the Scottish guns, which were cumbersome to move, emplace and load. Surrey's tactics, local knowledge and generalship were superb. The Scot's use of the 18-foot long pike was not suited to their fighting method, discipline or the local terrain.

A full account of the Battle can be found in the booklet which is on sale at St Paul's Church, Branxton.

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