Towton    -    29th March 1461

Towton, fought during the Wars of the Roses is the largest battle ever fought on English soil. The main Lancastrian army out manoeuvred the Duke of York and killed him outside Wakefield Castle. The Duke’s head was placed on Micklegate Bar, York. The Lancastrian advance reached as far south as St Albans, defeating Warwick the Kingmaker, but was unable to take London. The Duke’s eldest son was proclaimed King as Edward IV.

The Lancastrian army gathered at Towton, barring the way to the Northern capital, York. On Palm Sunday, 1461, the two armies met for the decisive battle.