Robert Loraine Monument
Standing Stone In Bolam, Northumberland
A monument to Robert Loraine, who was brutally murdered by Border Reivers in Kirkhale.
The Kirkhale Courtyard is a charming place to have a visit, with it's quaint shops and a lovely lake to have a wander around. However there is a monument to a chap called Robert Loraine which has a bit of grisly history.
Erected in 1728, the monument commemorates Robert Loraine, a figure who embodied the stark contradictions of 15th-century borderland existence. By day, he served as a warden of the Marches, entrusted with safeguarding English soil from Scottish raiders. By night, however, he donned the mantle of a Border Reiver, leading raids across the very border he swore to protect. This duality painted him as a bit of a controversial figure, crossing the line between protector and outlaw.
Loraine's met a brutal end in 1483 when returning home from a seemingly ordinary visit to the nearby church. He was ambushed and killed, his body was dismembered with the remains unceremoniously stuffed into his horse's saddlebags. The horse then trotted back home to be found and send a grisly message.
Accounts differ on the perpetrators - were they Scottish raiders seeking retribution for his past transgressions, or English rivals embroiled in a web of borderland feuds? Regardless, the act itself was one of chilling brutality.
Nearly two and a half centuries later, Sir William Loraine, a descendant of Robert, felt compelled to honor his forebear's memory. He commissioned the construction of the monument, a stark and simple obelisk devoid of elaborate flourishes. Its inscription, the only primary source of information about Robert's demise, states that he was "barbarously murdered".
Get 3 points if you have visited this place. Already visited by 20 VIPs.
Login to the VIP area to add places to your bucket list, mark them as visited and more importantly see where you rank on the league table.
How To Find Robert Loraine Monument
Where Is Robert Loraine Monument?
Lat / Long
55.136764, -1.982706
What three words
Where To Park For Robert Loraine Monument?
Lat / Long
55.13671, 55.13671
What three words
Park in the Kirkhale car park which is just a couple of minutes walk from the monument.
Contributed by Simon Hawkins
Thanks for checking out this place on the Fabulous North! I do enjoy a wander out in to the countryside trying to find hidden gems that not many people know about. You can't beat a rogue pele tower up a remote hill, a mysterious stone circle or a stunning waterfall secluded in a forest.
More Places from SimonMore Places In Bolam
Find more fabulous places in Bolam, Northumberland and if you know of a place we haven't listed, then let us know.
Jubilee Stone On Shaftoe Crags
Standing Stone Bolam NorthumberlandA tall stone marking Queen Victoria's Jubilee.
Shaftoe Crags
Crag, Rock And Cairn Bolam NorthumberlandStunning crags and landscape with standing stones and a Devil's Punchbowl.
Shaftoe Crags Trig Point
Trig Point Bolam NorthumberlandThe trig point sitting on top of Shaftoe Crags (213m).
More Standing Stones
So this standing stone wasn't enough and you want more? Don't worry we have you covered.
Source of the North Tyne River At Deadwater
Standing Stone Kielder NorthumberlandA standing stone marking the northern source of the River Tyne in Deadwater.
Hurl Stone
Standing Stone Chillingham NorthumberlandA 4m standing stone, most likely a headless cross, maybe thrown there by giants or the devil.
Charlie's Garden
Standing Stone Seaton Valley NorthumberlandA large rock sitting in Collywell Bay at Seaton Sluice that a local once grew things on.
Never Miss A Fabulous Place
If you are afraid of missing out on all the fabulous places we post, or just want to be the first to know, then sign up to the Fabulous North.
Each week we will email you all the brand new places that we visit.
Sign Up To AlertsFind Us On Facebook
We post all our new places daily on our Facebook Groups page, so join the group today and be notified when we add a new place.
Join Our Facebook GroupRobert Loraine Monument was listed in Standing Stone // Northumberland // Bolam