Battle of Shrewsbury - 1403 - 'the field of peas'

Image: © John M Taken: 24 Apr 2010

The battle took place on 21st July 1403 between a rebel army raised by the Percy family of Northumberland and King Henry IV supported by his son Prince Hal. The rebels had grievances over money owing following their part in the overthrow of Richard II in 1399 and later assistance to the king. The battle is notable for the large scale deployment of English archers in both of the armies and set the pattern for the victory against the French at Agincourt. It is thought that the rebel army may have numbered 10,000 and the royal army 14,000. The rebel army took up positions on the hill, here, overlooking the later Battlefield Church. The Royal forces deployed on the lower ground near the new bypass approximately on the line of the electricity pylons before advancing and attacking uphill across a 'field of peas'. The attack faltered encouraging Henry 'Hotspur' Percy to counter attack being slain by a blow in the process. A flanking move by Prince Hal carried the day for the King's army. The fiercest part of the battle took place in the area now marked by the church and many of the dead were said to be buried there in a mass grave. The church was built in 1406 to mark the site of the battle.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0