Description:

This memorial marks the very spot where he died in 1307 (though how they know is anyone’s guess!). It stands on the English side of the Solway Firth, the wide stretch of water that has formed the border with southwest Scotland since 1092. At the time, Edward was leading a massive army, eager to cross, invade Scotland, and settle the score once and for all with his former vassal turned nemesis, Robert the Bruce. Old and unwell, the king is said to have suffered from dysentery and died in the arms of his servants at the age of 68. The first memorial went up in 1685, but the current one, dating from 1803, is placed exactly where his tent was supposedly pitched.

According to legend, Edward I commanded that his body—or at least his bones—be carried into Scotland until victory was achieved and Robert the Bruce defeated. That never happened. His son, Edward II, led the army and the remains back south. In Burgh by Sands, a statue of Edward I stands on the village green, commemorating the 700th anniversary of the king’s death.