1. Background By August Murray had control of the North
Wallace had driven English out of Fife and Perthshire
Wallace and Murray’s armies joined
22 Aug - Edward departed for France
English army marched to Stirling
led by Warenne – old soldier, tremendous power
Cressingham nicknamed the ‘treacherer’ (treasurer)

2. Importance of Stirling
Powerful castle
Key to control Scotland
Access to north
Stirling

3. Differences in Armies Starting Position English Scots
Army was on high ground known as Abbey Craig - Between the River Forth and the Ochil Hills facing the Stirling Bridge.
South side of the River Forth
Scran video clip

4. Differences in Armies Leaders English Scots
John de Warenne (Earl of Surrey - English Governor of Scotland)
Hugh de Cressingham (Treasurer)
Both experienced in leading troops into battle
William Wallace
Andrew Moray
Wallace’s first experience of a standing battle
Had only used guerrilla tactics before this

5. Differences in Armies Armies English Scots 60,000 cavalry and infantry
8000 in reserve
Well trained
Organised
Experienced
40,000 infantry
180 horseman
Army mostly from ‘lesser ranks’ in society
No experience
Little training

6. Differences in Armies Weapons English Scots Well equipped
Skilled, trained longbowmen
Homemade
12 feet long spears
Axes
Knives

7. Differences in Armies Uniforms English Scots Uniforms
Protective clothing
Armour
Homespun cloth rough hide tunics
Few had helmets
Few had body armour

8. Night before the battle
Warenne told his army to cross Stirling Bridge the following morning and fight

9. Morning of the Battle Delay Warenne slept in (Stirling Castle)
This caused confusion and delay, Cressingham had already sent 5000 troops across the bridge now they had to be recalled
Warenne then insisted on creating several new knights
Cressingham was irritated and impatient

10. Warenne sent two friars to speak to the Scots and give them one last chance to surrender......
Wallace replied
‘Tell your commander that we are not here to make peace, but to do battle to defend ourselves and liberate our Kingdom. Let them come on, and we will prove this in their very beards’

11. Prior to Battle
Sir Richard Lundie a Scot who had joined English warned Cressingham
‘My Lord, if we cross that bridge now, we are dead men. For we can only go over two abreast, and the enemy are already formed up: they can charge down on us whenever they wish. There is a ford not far from here, where 60 men can cross at a time. Give me 500 horsemen, then, and a small body of footsoldiers, and we will attack the Scots from behind: then the rest of the army will be able to cross the bridge in perfect safety’
Cressingham replied
‘It will do us no good, my lord earl, either to go bickering like this or to waste the King’s money in vain manoeuvres. So let us cross right away, and do our duty as we are bound to do.’
Warenne agreed with Cressingham

12. The Battle begins....
Cressingham took position of honour on the bridge
English started to file along the bridge 2 abreast
Wallace and Murray on the slopes of Abbey Craig watched and waited

13. The Battle begins....
Wallace waited till 5000 English had crossed the bridge and were on the narrow causeway
Then he sounded the charge

14. The Battle begins.... On the Causeway
There was panic and confusion amongst the English
The English knights on the causeway could not manoeuvre
Horses were driven off the causeway and into marshland
Knights fell off their horses and were stabbed through chinks in
their armour and visors

15. The Bridge The Scots then attacked the bridge head
Many English knights tried to turn back
Many were killed by their own men in the confusion
Some flung themselves overboard and drowned

16. Cressingham was killed, skinned and his body sent around the country
Wallace took enough for a new sword belt
Warenne on other side of the bridge fled with his troops

17. Significance of the Victory
ENGLISH
Humiliation for Edward I
Made Edward I determined to seek revenge
SCOTS
Showed a smaller army of lower ranks could defeat the larger, heavily armed and trained English army
Destroyed the myth that the English could not be defeated
Strengthened Scots will to resist Edward I