A church that was the scene of a famous Scottish victory over the English has been destroyed by fire.
The blaze broke out at St Michael and All Angels Church, in Newburn, near Newcastle, at about 11pm on Monday.
The vicar, the Reverend John Sinclair, who was attending a meeting in Cumbria when the fire started, said it had been a terrible shock.
The cause is not thought to be suspicious.
The church was pivotal in the Battle of Newburn. In August 1640, Alexander Leslie, commander of a 22,500-strong Scottish army, hauled cannons to the top of the bell tower and fired on the English.
He won the battle, forcing the English to retreat to Durham and left the Scots to force the surrender of Newcastle
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