Fortress Strongholds of the Border Reivers - Fortifications of the Anglo-Scottish Border 1296-1603 Osprey Books

In the year 1296, Edward 1 of England, in pursuance of his ambitions for the complete annexation of Scotland, launched across the Border a series of devastating incursions, the sheer brutality of which earned him the sobriquet 'Hammer of the Scots'. Recoiling from the initial impact, the Scots under Wallace and Bruce soon retaliated with equal ferocity and as one outrage followed another, the two countries were plunged into 300 years of intermittent warfare and hostility. The Borderland became their battleground and as the armies of both nations invaded and retreated across the 'line', towns and villages were put to the torch, their inhabitants' slaughtered and vast areas of land were reduced to burnt-out and impoverished wastelands. In what became a war of attrition, both governments encouraged their Borderers to harass their embattled neighbours across the line by way of incessant raiding and even in periods of comparative peace between the two kingdoms, violence along the Borderline continued unabated. Raiding, or 'reiving', had become a way of life. Caught in this vicious cycle of warfare, raiding and reprisal, survival became the most important element in the Borderer's uncertain existence. Even families who shared the same nationality lived in constant suspicion of each other and fickle loyalties lead to bitter rivalry, which could suddenly escalate into open hostility and deadly feud. Such appalling conditions bred a ruthless and resourceful society who had, by the beginning of the 16th century, become masterful thieves and rustlers, skilled in the arts of skirmish, raiding, ambush and extortion. It is hardly surprising that when these people built their homes, the emphasis was firmly on security. Fortresses on both sides of the Border ranged from small, well-defended castles to imposing tower houses, or 'peles', and a variety of fortified farmhouses known as bastles, a class of buildings that is unique in the British Isles. In addition, many churches were strengthened against attack and in times of trouble, served as sanctuaries for their congregations.