- Otterburn, Northumberland
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Coordinates: 55°14′10″N 2°10′55″W / 55.236°N 2.182°W
Otterburn 
Otterburn
Otterburn
Otterburn shown within NorthumberlandPopulation ~500 OS grid reference NY885935 Unitary authority Northumberland Ceremonial county Northumberland Region North East Country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Postcode district NE19 Dialling code 01830 Police Northumbria Fire Northumberland Ambulance North East EU Parliament North East England UK Parliament Hexham List of places: UK • England • Northumberland Otterburn is a small village in Northumberland, England, 31 miles (50 km) northwest of Newcastle Upon Tyne on the banks of the River Rede, near the confluence of the Otter Burn, from which the village derives its name. It lies within the Cheviot Hills about 16 miles (26 km) from the Scottish border. The parish of Otterburn is at the heart of Redesdale, a remote Northumbrian upland valley steeped in history and blessed with natural beauty.
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History
Otterburn was the site of a major battle in 1388 between English and Scottish armies. The engagement, in which the Scots took Sir Henry Percy captive, is the subject of the English ballad Chevy Chase and the Scots ballad Otterburn.
The battle of Otterburn ended in an English rout. James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas was killed, Percy captured and over a thousand of the English were taken, left dead on the field or slain as they fled. The dead were carried to Elsdon church, three miles (5 km) from Otterburn, where they were buried.
Governance
Otterburn is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham.
Economy
Today, the village is noted for its proximity to the Otterburn Training Area, one of the UK’s largest army training ranges at some 60,000 acres (240 km2).
Landmarks
- Otterburn Hall, now a hotel, is a Neo-Elizabethan structure, built in 1870 for Lord James Douglas.
- St John the Evangelist's Church, Otterburn
- Otterburn Mill
- Otterburn Tower, now a hotel, was built in 1830 incorporating part of an eighteenth-century house, which itself may have incorporated the thirteenth century tower house which originally stood on the site.[1]
- The "Percy Cross" stands in the midst of a small plantation, a mile north of the village. Near this peaceful spot, on an August evening in 1388, an English army of 8,000 men followed Sir Henry Percy into battle against the Scots, led by James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas.
References
External links
Categories:- Villages in Northumberland
- Otterburn, Northumberland
- Northumberland geography stubs
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