Siege of Prudhoe Castle

As long as Prudhoe stands, we should never have peace.

Background

In April of 1173, three of Henry II's sons—Young Henry, Richard, and Geoffrey—along with Henry II's wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their supporters, began a rebellion against him. Most early confrontations took place in Normandy. They were backed by powerful allies, including William the Lion, King of Scotland, and King Louis VII of France.

While most of the attention focused on Normandy, William the Lion invaded Northumberland to seize the Earldom of Northumberland. He attacked Newcastle but found the stone castle too strong, so he turned his attention to Prudhoe Castle.

Odinel II d'Umfraville held Prudhoe Castle and supported Henry II, making it a target for William the Lion. Prudhoe's defenses were also strong, and William the Lion was not prepared for a lengthy siege.

Jordan Fantosme, clerk to the Bishop of Winchester, wrote his account of the siege:

The King of Scotland had his pavilions, his tents, and his marquees pitched there, and his earls and barons assembled, and he said to his Noblemen: "My lords, what shall we do? As long as Prudhoe stands, we should never have peace."

Low on supplies, William withdrew without capturing the castle, leaving Prudhoe unconquered, and moved north to Carlisle.

By 1174, the castle garrison under Umfraville reinforced the castle's defenses, adding a stone keep. They had heard of the approaching army and were prepared to defend the castle.

William the Lion returned in 1174 to besiege Prudhoe Castle a second time, bringing a larger force that included Flemish mercenaries.

Battle

Around July 8th, 1174, William the Lion tried to launch a surprise attack on Prudhoe Castle, then settled in for a siege. The garrison urged Odinel d'Umfraville to sneak out of the castle and find help. He managed to get out of the castle and rode out on his horse "Baucan the hairy" to rally forces.

The siege went on for about three days, with William's forces using siege engines to launch heavy boulders at the castle walls. Despite numerous assaults, the castle garrison of 150 to 250 men repelled the attacks. The garrison suffered almost no losses, underscoring the strength of the defenses.

The Scots grew frustrated and burned the surrounding fields, crops, and orchards, including stripping the bark from apple trees.

William heard that Umfraville was returning with reinforcements and lifted the siege, then headed north toward Alnwick.

Aftermath

Odinel d'Umfraville was able to muster around 400 knights and barons, including Ranulf de Glanville, Robert de Stuteville, and Bernard Balliol, but they arrived too late at Prudhoe because William and his Scottish and Flemish forces had already left. They would then pursue William the Lion to Alnwick.

The successful defense of Prudhoe Castle helped secure the Tyne Valley against Scottish advances.