Manor of Bolling. 1461

When we think about medieval warfare we often forget that it had an impact at manorial level. In the case of England’s bloodiest battle, The Battle of Towton, this is very much the case. A wealth of research exists into the order of battle, the weapons, the campaign in general and the broader political changes that resulted from the Yorkist victory. So too, are those who fell in battle studied in depth. The stories of survivors and the impact of battles such as Towton on manors and regions can be easily overlooked.

Towton was a bloodbath. Estimates vary greatly but the figure of 28000 is the most frequently cited as the number who died. That makes it by far the most deadly battle fought on English soil since the Roman era. Most of the dead came from the ranks of the defeated Lancastrian army, cut down around Cock Beck as they sought to flee the battlefield.