On 9 September 1513, what many believe to have been one of the most important events in Scottish history took place here.

Scottish and English armies met in what has since been variously called the Battle of Flodden, the Battle of Flodden Field, or the Battle of Branxton Moor.

So what did happen? Well the outcome was a catastrophe for Scotland, and a triumph for England. The Scots lost up to 10,000 dead out of an army of some 25,000. The Scottish dead included King James IV himself, plus an archbishop, two bishops, 11 earls, 15 lords and 300 knights: in effect a whole generation of the Scottish nobility was swept away. The English lost just 1,700 dead out of an army of around 20,000.

What made things much worse from a Scottish point of view was that this was a battle that need never have happened.