The Battle of Halidon Hill - 19th & 20th July 2003

Bondington Revisited - 18th & 20th July

In association with National Archaeology Day, over 80 amateur archaeologists involved in the Bondington Project carried out an excavation and presented interpretive displays on the site of the medieval St Leonard’s nunnery on the outskirts of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Dozens of children were encouraged to unearth and record objects in their own special “dig”.

“Putting Bondington on the Map” was a project run by Berwick History Society, the Border Archaeology Society, Berwick Record Office and Castlegate Area Residents’ Association, supported by the Local Heritage Initiative.

July 30th 2003 marked the 670th anniversary of the Battle of Halidon Hill, which ended the Great Siege of Berwick that lasted for three months in the summer of 1333.

The occasion was commemorated by a programme of colourful re-enactments, archaeological excavations and interpretive displays, culminating in a trail following the story of the events on the site of the battle itself.

The Great Siege of Berwick - 19th July

An imaginative interpretive trail through Coronation Park beside the ruins of Berwick Castle took visitors through 200 years of turbulent history when the town changed hands between Scotland and England at least 13 times.

Taking part in a weekend of medieval activities in the town were re-enactors from “Rent a Peasant”, “Anmod Dracan”, “Escafeld”, “Fire and Sword” and “Red Wyvern”, illustrating life and warfare in Scotland and England i the period from the 13th to the 15th century.

There were demonstrations of crafts and combat skills from the 13th to the 15th centuries and a “Weakest Link” style contest in which the public were transported back to Berwick in 1292 to help King Edward I of England choose the next King of Scotland from the 13 contenders who argued their case at the time.

A spectacular feature of the event was a full-sized reconstruction of a medieval trebuchet war-machine, of a type used in sieges of the town and castle during the Middle Ages.  This massive catapult was made by Jim Herbert, technician at Berwick Borough Museum.

Living History at Halidon Hill - 20th July

The anniversary of the Battle of Halidon Hill was marked on 20th July at Conundrum Farm near, which stands on the battlefield site, close to the Scottish Border.

The event featured medieval period encampments, demonstrations of archery, coin-making and craft skills of the period and armoured knights in hand-to-hand combat.

Halidon Hill Battlefield Trail - 20th July

Berwick Borough Museum curator Chris Green produced a battlefield trail in which the key events of the battle were unfolded for the public by actors and historical re-enactors.