Battle of Stirling Bridge: man died trying to cross river

Wallace and Andrew Moray - who later died from injuries sustained in the battle - held their army on the soft, flat ground to the north of the River Forth as the English knights and infantry made their slow progress across the bridge. When the vanguard, 5,400 English and Welsh infantry plus several hundred cavalry, had crossed, they ordered the attack. The heavy cavalry to the north of the river were trapped and cut to pieces, and their comrades to the south were powerless to help. Thousands of English troops were slaughtered.

One English commander, Hugh de Cressingham - King Edward's treasurer in Scotland - was flayed and his skin cut into pieces as tokens of the victory. Wallace, left, is said to have used a strip of it to make a sword belt.