The Forgotten Burning of Auchencrow

A Night of Fire and Fear

It was a cold night in late 1558 when sixty English horsemen crept out of Berwick Castle through the narrow Postern Gate. The moon was bright, casting an eerie, silver sheen across the Northumbrian hills as the riders advanced in silence. Their destination was the small Scottish village of Auchencrow, a rural settlement lying roughly eight miles northwest of Berwick.

Though peaceful by appearance, Auchencrow had become a target. Reports of Scottish forces gathering nearby had put the English garrison on edge. A swift, punishing strike was planned—not to capture, but to destroy.

Moving quickly under cover of night, the English cavalry reached Auchencrow in darkness. The village was asleep, unaware of the danger closing in.