BATTLE OF NEVILLE’S CROSS

A  CIRCULAR WALK 

 
Walk length: 11/2 - 2 hours, about 5km.

Generally, this waymarked route is fairly easy walking, but does include some steep steps and stretches of uneven ground.

                                                                     
Getting there
Bus...Durham City bus Station.Bus to Neville's Cross.
Road...(Lies on the A167.) AIM South take A167 at Chester-le-Street. A1M North take A167 North.
Rail...Mainline to Durham CIty. Bus or Taxi.

View the Walk and Battle.

The northern pedestrian footbridge over the A167, just at the start of this walk, provides an excellent panoramic view of the likely site of the Battle of Neville’s Cross (1).Stand on the footbridge and try to imagine the view around you with no buildings, roads, vehicles or street lights; only a ridge of moorland with the Browney River valley to the west and Flass Vale to the east. It is difficult to make the necessary leap of imagination to see what the scene would have been like here on 17th October 1346, but it would certainly have been bare and fairly bleak. It is hoped that this circular walk will help to bring to life for you the Battle of Neville’s Cross in 1346. 

Although border warfare was common in the Middle Ages, this battle had its immediate origins in an Anglo/ French dispute in Europe. Two months before the Neville’s Cross battle, in August 1346, an English army, under King Edward III, had defeated a French army at CrÈcy in Northern France. The Scots, commanded by their King, David II, were responding to an appeal from the King of France to create a diversion in Northern England. 

The Scottish army crossed the border north of Carlisle and moved down the north bank of the Tyne, taking Hexham and Corbridge. Legend has it that, the night before the fording of the Tyne at Ryton, David had a dream warning him not to invade the territory of Saint Cuthbert. Ignoring this warning, David’s army moved south and encamped at Beaurepaire (Bearpark) outside Durham City. The English had not been idle and troops were gathered at Richmond under Ralph Neville, Henry Percy and the Archbishop of York. The English army advanced to Barnard Castle and then to Bishop Auckland. An English mounted force advancing from Merrington ran into a Scottish raiding party and, in a running battle south of Durham between Thinford and Sunderland Bridge, forced the Scots to retreat with heavy casualties. It is said that this is why the area is now known as Butcher Race. 

On the morning of 17th October, the English army (possibly as few as 5,000 men) was formed up across Crossgate Moor in three divisions, with a reserve contingent held in the rear. The larger Scottish force (possibly 16,000 men) moved out from Beaurepaire and formed up in their three divisions north of Arbour House Farm.

START . . .
View the Walk and Battle.
Walk south from the west end of the footbridge and then right into Toll House Road. Walk down this road to the Baxter Wood turning. Walking down Toll House Road has taken you between the lines of the two armies; the English on the crest of the low ridge about 150 metres to the south and the Scots to the north. Look right before turning left off the road towards Baxter Wood. A small valley can be seen to the east of Arbour House Farm. This valley caused a major problem for the Scots (2).

The line of advance of the Scottish right wing under Sir William Douglas took it into this valley where it was hampered by the descent down the steep slopes and the ditches and fences which intersected the land in the valley bottom. Confusion resulted, with the cohesion of the three schiltrons (‘hedgehog-like’ formations of pikes) lost. The Scots also had to climb the slope in front of Sir Thomas Rokeby’s men who were the bulk of the English archers. 

Turn left into the road leading to Baxter Wood Farm. After 50 metres turn left and follow the River Browney by the path along its eastern bank which leads to Quarry House Lane. Here it is possible to see that the English line was sensibly protected from a flank attack by the river and the steep river bluff

(3). As you climb back up to the plateau of Crossgate Moor you are now about 250 metres behind the English line.  

Quarry House Lane takes you back to the main Newcastle to Darlington road which is again crossed by a footbridge. Follow the main road south and, immediately after crossing the railway bridge over Redhills Cutting, turn left and take a narrow path which firstly takes you to the end of St John’s Road and then to Farnley Ridge

(4). The path continues beside the cutting at the far end of Farnley Ridge.

After the battle Ralph Neville erected a new cross to commemorate the victory.

If you wish to find out more about this, make a short detour down St John’s Road and turn right. You will see an information panel beside the remains of the cross. 

As you follow the path you are behind the right wing of the English army - the men of Northumberland commanded by Henry Percy. This wing did not have the early success of its counterpart on the left and, as the opposing Scottish troops under Robert Stewart advanced, the English soldiers were forced back by Scottish spears. As Percy’s troops gave ground they kept contact with the English centre and swung back pivoting on their left flank. The advancing Scots then exposed their own left flank to a counter-attack by the English reserve which had been held back behind the line of battle. Under attack Stewart pulled many of his troops back from the field. 

Follow the footpath downhill to its junction with Laburnum Avenue at Byland Lodge, and then right. Take the first turning on the left, and second left again into Lawson Terrace. Walk to the end of the street and turn right and immediately left onto the footpath which climbs to a tunnel under the railway line. Turn right down Redhills Lane (watch for the traffic!) and continue past the Miners’ Hall on your left to the bottom of Flass Street. Turn left along Waddington Street and then left again. 

After passing the bus garage turn right into the path leading into Flass Vale (the right-hand of the two metalled tracks, signposted ‘Private Road - public footpath only’). Follow the path and, about 90 metres past a bungalow, Maiden’s Bower - a Bronze Age Barrow - appears on the left (5).  

The night before the battle St Cuthbert is said to have appeared to John Fossor, Prior of the Benedictine Abbey of Durham, and instructed him to take the saint’s banner to the battlefield. Maiden’s Bower is the site at which Prior Fossor and a number of monks spent the battle in prayer. Following the battle a wooden cross was erected on Maiden’s Bower and as the monks made their journeys to and from Beaurepaire they would turn into Flass Vale and offer prayers by the cross. The cross was broken down in the mid-sixteenth century. 

Continue along the path through Flass Vale and, after about 240 metres on the far side of a clearing, where the trees on either side of the path give way to more open terrain, turn left and climb a path which takes you to Flass House Farm and the fence surrounding Durham Johnston School. 

As you look over the school playing fields the site of the last stage of the battle lies around you (6).

The Scots’ centre, under the command of King David, was now exposed by the withdrawal of Stewart’s division on the left and the defeat of Douglas’ division on the right. The English troops closed around the Scottish centre and sheer weight of numbers now began to tell. David’s standard bearer was killed and the King himself was wounded before he was eventually captured by John Copeland. The defeated and leaderless remnants of the Scots army streamed northwards fighting small-scale actions, including one on Findon Hill. King David was taken to a Northumbrian castle for safety and he was eventually handed over to Edward III. He remained in English custody for 11 years and was freed in exchange for a £66,000 ransom which is the equivalent of about £15 million in today’s terms!

Follow the fence northwards and then westwards back to the main A167. Turn left to get back to the starting point of the walk.

This walk has been lent to NW with the kind permission of Durham Council.