7 JULY 1307
Edward I dies on his way to fight in Scotland
The end of the English king’s life echoes that of his hero, Arthur
King Edward I is probably chiefly remembered for three things. First, for his height: he was more than 6ft tall, earning the byname ‘Longshanks’. Second, for finding and interring the bones of King Arthur at Glastonbury Abbey – or so he asserted. And finally, for his victories beyond England’s borders in Wales and Scotland – earning the epithet ‘Hammer of the Scots’.
The decade following Edward’s invasion of Scotland in 1296 was marked by bitter conflict between his troops and Scottish forces fighting to retain independence from an English king. And in 1307, at the ripe old age of 68, Edward – a warrior to the
