Sieges of Berwick (1355 and 1356)

Siege of Berwick
Part of the Second War of Scottish Independence
Date 6 November 1355 – 13 January 1356 Location Berwick-upon-Tweed Result Status quo ante
Belligerents
Kingdom of Scotland	Kingdom of England
Commanders and leaders
Thomas, Earl of Angus Patrick, Earl of March	King Edward III Walter Manny
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The sieges of Berwick were the Scottish capture of the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed on 6 November 1355 and their subsequent unsuccessful siege of Berwick Castle, and the English siege and recapture of the town in January 1356. In 1355 the Second War of Scottish Independence had been underway for over 22 years. After a period of quiescence the Scots, encouraged by the French who were fighting the English in the Hundred Years' War, assembled an army on the border. In September a truce was agreed and much of the English army left the border area to join King Edward III's campaign in France.

In October the Scots broke the truce, invading Northumbria and devastating much of it. On 6 November a Scottish force led by Thomas, Earl of Angus, and Patrick, Earl of March, captured the town of Berwick in a pre-dawn escalade. They failed to capture the castle, which they besieged. Edward returned from France and gathered a large army at Newcastle. Most of the Scots withdrew, leaving a 130-man garrison in Berwick town. When the English army arrived the Scots negotiated a safe passage and withdrew. Edward went on to devastate a large part of southern and central Scotland. He was only prevented from worse depredations by his seaborne supplies not arriving due to bad weather.