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Capture of Roxburgh (1460)

1460 in England1460 in Scotland15th-century military history of ScotlandBattles between England and ScotlandConflicts in 1460
Roxburgh
Roxburgh Castle engraving by William Miller after W Brown
Roxburgh Castle engraving by William Miller after W Brown

The capture of Roxburgh was a siege that took place during the Anglo-Scottish Wars. Following the Second War of Scottish Independence intermittent conflict continued along the Anglo-Scottish border with Roxburgh Castle being held by the English since 1346 and by the 1380s was one of the last English held strongholds in Scotland. In July 1460 James II of Scotland began a campaign to reclaim Roxburgh, aiming to take advantage of the fact that the Wars of the Roses were raging in England. During the siege James was mortally wounded when one of his own cannons exploded and the siege was continued by his wife, Mary of Guelders. The castle surrendered on 5 August and was subsequently destroyed by the attackers.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Capture of Roxburgh (1460) (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Capture of Roxburgh (1460)
Roxburgh Castle,

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Latitude Longitude
N 55.5966 ° E -2.4566 °
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Roxburgh Castle

Roxburgh Castle
TD5 8LP
Scotland, United Kingdom
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Roxburgh Castle engraving by William Miller after W Brown
Roxburgh Castle engraving by William Miller after W Brown
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Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey

Kelso Abbey is a ruined Scottish abbey in Kelso, Scotland. It was founded in the 12th century by a community of Tironensian monks first brought to Scotland in the reign of Alexander I. It occupies ground overlooking the confluence of the Tweed and Teviot waters, the site of what was once the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh and the intended southern centre for the developing Scottish kingdom at that time. Kelso thus became the seat of a pre-eminently powerful abbacy in the heart of the Scottish Borders. In the 14th century, Roxburgh became a focus for periodic attack and occupation by English forces and Kelso's monastic community survived a number of fluctuations in control over the area, restoring the abbey infrastructure after episodes of destruction and ultimately retaining Scottish identity. From 1460 onwards, life for the abbey probably grew more settled, but came once again under attack in the early sixteenth century. By the mid-century, through a combination of turbulent events, the abbey effectively ceased to function and the building fell into ruin. Although the site of Kelso Abbey has not been fully excavated in modern times, evidence suggests that it was a major building with two crossings. The only remains standing today are the west tower crossing and part of the infirmary. The massive design and solid romanesque style of the tower indicate a very large building of formidable, semi-military construction and appearance, evidence of the importance with which Roxburgh was regarded when the abbacy was at the height of its power.