Good Friday dawned quite dull but by lunchtime it had brightened up so we decided to take Archie for a wander. Towton Battlefield is about six miles away from where we live, there isn't much there apart from the information boards, but it's a nice walk. I wrote about it in my A History Tour In Four Parts post back in 2013.
The Battle of Towton took place during a snow storm on Palm Sunday, the 29th of March 1461, during the Wars of the Roses and it was probably the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil. Approximately 50,000 soldiers were involved in the battle and it brought about a change of monarch with Edward IV displacing Henry VI, establishing the House of York on the English throne.
A memorial cross, known as Dacre's Cross, stands by the side of the road.
A wreath had been laid just a few days prior to our visit commemorating the anniversary of the battle which had taken place 570 years earlier.
The start of the trail.
There's well positioned information boards along the trail.
The information boards give a good insight into the history of the battle and other interesting facts.
This area is known as Bloody Meadow. Up to 28,000 men lost their lives during the battle.
The weapons of the time were very different from those used today, though still really quite gruesome.
Artefacts from the battle have been recovered over the years.
Even through it had brightened up, a bitterly cold wind was blowing so we didn't walk the whole trail but it was far enough for Archie. It's nice to be out in the countryside.
The hawthorn is just coming into flower.
There's some lovely scenery, though it's always nicer on a sunny day.
Archie enjoyed his walk. He went to the groomers last week and is sporting a very short haircut, which was lovely for him when the weather was warm, not so comfortable now that the cooler weather has returned.
We've had mixed weather over the Easter weekend, a little sunshine, some dull days and lots of wind. At least we missed out on the snow which some parts of the UK experienced.
The weather has been really strange going from warm, sunny days to trying to snow yesterday and now it's sunny but cold today! I'm sure Archie feels better for his haircut but may need his coat on when it's cold. That is an interesting walk, that must have been an horrific battle to have lost so many lives.
ReplyDeleteWe are snow free here, but it's really cold, even with sun shine all day, the breeze is cutting.
ReplyDeleteI love the little church sitting in the middle of a field near there.
ReplyDeleteLoooks like a lovely walk. I do love it when we see Archie. Our weather looks lovely from inside but, as soon as you poke your nose out of the door, it's absolutely freezing! Brrrrr!!
ReplyDeleteThat looked like a good walk, but shame about about the bitterly cold wind.
ReplyDeleteIt was the same here over the weekend, although Sunday was calm, sunny and warm. xx
Lovely. I can't resist a walk with information boards to get the imagination going as well as the legs. I love all the clouds in the blue sky. It's been quite sunny here but very cold, I've had to go back to my thicker coat and boots.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like an interesting walk Jo, I can almost see the blood drenched fields in Bloody Meadow. Archie looks very smart lets hope the weather warms up soon so that he can appreciate his haircut. It's snowing here now as I write this and it's bitterly cold outside. x
ReplyDeletelooks like it was a lovely walk, we've had all weather here...
ReplyDeleteLooks like the sort of walk we'd like & pity we aren't coming across this year. I like when walks have some good information boards on either the history or ecology of the area. Thanks for sharing, stay safe & hugs.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a lovely walk, with a lot of interest. Glad you missed the snow, it has been baltic here.
ReplyDeleteThat bouquet is just so lovely! Thanks for taking us along for the walk.
ReplyDeleteIt looks and sounds a good place to walk.
ReplyDeleteIt is always nice to get out and about when we can.
The weather really has been quite mixed, we experienced a little snow on Tuesday, and the nights have certainly been chilly.
All the best Jan
Looks like you had a nice wkend, even if the weather wasn't as nice as you would have liked. Always good to get out and get a walk in, and learning about history is a definite bonus.
ReplyDeleteSandy's Space
It's so scenic that it's hard to imagine a bloody battle taking place there.
ReplyDeleteWe had snow and glorious sunshine on the same day, luckily the snow didn't stick around.
x
Love that walk, how interesting though. Shame the weather turned cold, poor Archie must have felt that after his clip It's similar here, freezing when the sun goes down, we've even had snow and sleet flurries.xxx
ReplyDelete