Peaceful pastures, 2017

Image: © Jonathan Billinger Taken: 31 Aug 2017

Sheep graze contentedly on the pastures to the east of Hereford Lane south of Mortimer's Cross. In the year 1461, things were a little different here. The Battle of Mortimer's Cross was fought on 2 February 1461 on this land to the west of the River Lugg. It was a major battle of the Wars of the Roses. The opposing forces were an army led by Jasper Tudor and his father, Owen Tudor, and other nobles loyal to the King Henry VI of the House of Lancaster, his Queen Margaret of Anjou and their seven-year-old son Edward, Prince of Wales on one side, and the army of the Yorkist Edward, Earl of March on the other. One of York's advisers, Sir Richard Croft, a local lord from Croft Castle, recommended positioning archers at the crossroads (now the A4110 and B4362 junction) in order to halt the Lancastrian advance. Pembroke's army was about a thousand men smaller than York's and, being untried in battle at that point, may not have originally planned to fight but by midday it was clear that they would have to in order to cross the Lugg. The Lancastrians commenced the attack – Butler's battle division led the first assault forcing Edward’s right wing to retreat across the road, where this flank dissolved. Pembroke faced Edward’s centre division and was held off but, most decisively, Owen Tudor attempted an encirclement of the Yorkist left wing; his battle was defeated and a rout commenced. Pembroke's centre then also broke and the battle was won. Owen Tudor’s men were now in full flight: some of them were followed as far as Hereford, approximately seventeen miles, and where Owen was himself captured and beheaded. Source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mortimer%27s_Cross

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