Battle of Byland - Historic UK

On October 14, 1322, Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeated King Edward II of England at Byland, forcing Edward to accept Scotland's independence. An excerpt from the article:

"Sutton Bank, North Yorkshire: a dramatic inland cliff, with a near vertical drop of around 140 metres from the top to the bottom. It was formed during the last Ice Age around 20 thousand years ago. The view from the top today is spectacular, with wonderful views over the Vale of York and the Vale of Mowbray.

It is thought to be the location of the Battle of Byland, or the Battle of Scotch Corner as it is sometimes called, fought during the Wars for Scottish Independence.

On 14th October 1322, the view from the top of the bank would have looked very different. The churned up ground, the sea of mud, the gloom cast by palls of smoke hanging over the area from burning towns and villages and many fires, all masking any view the English army had of the advancing Scots. The fields on the top, towards Rievaulx Abbey, would have been covered with the encampments of this large English army, while to the west of Sutton Bank, in the Vale, would have been the steadily advancing Scottish army, many less in number.

There has been some debate as to the actual site of the Battle of Byland. It is thought to be somewhere around Old Byland – not the Abbey – and the main battle is thought to have been fought on Roulston Scar, the escarpment just to the south of Sutton Bank. (Roulston Scar is also the site of a massive Iron Age hill fort built around 400BC)."