In September 1459 the armies of the House of Lancaster and the House of York met on a damp Sunday morning at Blore Heath and fought the battle which would begin the English Wars of the Roses. Thousands of men from across England fought and died in a bloody battle, which lasted for the rest of that day.

Legend has it that Queen Margaret of Anjou watched the battle from the nearby Mucklestone church tower, only to flee when she realised her army had lost. A stone cross still stands on Blore Heath to this day, to mark the spot where the Lancastrian leader is said to have been killed.

This section of the site aims to provide an overview of the events at Blore Heath that day, plus some background to the conflict in general.

In summary
A one page summary of the Battle.

Life in medieval England
An overview of life in 15th century England.

The Wars of the Roses
A brief introduction to the medieval English civil wars which became known as The Wars of the Roses.

St Albans and the outbreak of war
A street battle which set the scene for a battle at Blore Heath

An Uneasy Peace
1455-1459 An uneasy peace: The events leading up to Blore Heath

Why Blore Heath
In the 15th century Blore Heath was an area of rough heath and wood land, miles from any large cities or towns. So why was a major battle fought at Blore Heath?

Tactics
The commanders of both armies were experienced soldiers. As they lined their forces on Blore Heath they made full use of their tactical knowledge.

Fighting
A description of what is known about the hostilities themselves.

The Aftermath
The outcome of the battle.

The legend of Queen Margaret at Mucklestone Church
Legend has it that Queen Margaret witnessed the defeat of her forces from the tower of a nearby Church, before making her escape by getting the local blacksmith to reverse her horse's shoes.

Protagonists
Who were the main characters present at Blore Heath?

Finds
Links to some remnants of the battle which have been found on Blore Heath over the years.

In pictures
Pictures of the battlefield

Links
Links to other sites which have some connection to Blore Heath.

Sources
The sources used in compiling this site.

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