Battles & Campaigns · 1461
Battle of Mortimer's Cross
Kingsland, Herefordshire, England, UK
What happened
A mainly Welsh Lancastrian army, with French, Breton and Irish troops, tried to join the main Lancastrian army. Edward blocked them by the River Lugg. After an early Lancastrian attack, Owen Tudor's flanking move failed and the Lancastrian lines broke.
Why it matters
It stopped the Tudor forces from joining the main Lancastrian army. Within weeks Edward was proclaimed King Edward IV in London.
What came next
A few weeks later Edward won a decisive victory at Towton.
Did you know?
At dawn a sun halo made three suns appear in the sky; Edward told his troops it stood for the Holy Trinity and later used the 'sun in splendour' as his badge.
Timeline
- 29 Dec 1460Battle of Wakefield.
- 2 Feb 1461Battle of Mortimer's Cross.
- 2 Mar 1461Edward and Warwick enter London.
- 29 Mar 1461Battle of Towton.