The Battle of Shrewsbury 1403

I am constantly perplexed by just how much I don’t know! In my wanderings around, I try to take in and discover as much history, myth, legend and folklore about a place as I can- and there is always something new to discover. However, I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that, as a country, we neglect- or forget- many of the events which have taken place, leaving it to enthusiastic volunteers or local historians to support those interested in learning more.

So we were very surprised to learn that there was a battlefield site and an exhibition not two miles from where we were staying. Looked after by the Battlefields Trust, a volunteer run registered charity, this was the site of one the bloodiest battles fought on British soil. 

Having usurped the throne of England from his cousin Richard II in 1399, Henry Boilingbroke became King Henry IV. He achieved this with the assistance of the powerful Percy family, including Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland. However, relations between them soon deteriorated and by 1403 the Percy family were demanding payment for outstanding debts from 1399 totalling £20,000. Northumberland’s son, Henry 'Hotspur' Percy, had been given high office in Wales, where he had completed several successful campaigns against the rebellious Owain Glyndwr, in 1401 and 1402. But he now changed allegiance, forming an alliance with Glyndwr and Edward Mortimer, brother-in-law to Hotspur and son-in-law to Glyndwr. In an effort to gain support and justify their actions the Percys accused Henry of starving King Richard II to death in his castle at Pontefract.

Events swiftly led to battle with Hotspur facing the king’s army without reinforcements from Wales. This was the first time that massed troops armed with longbows faced each other on English soil, something which would be so effective in the coming decades against the French. Hotspur was killed and the might of the Percy family was broken.

Today, the battlefield remains almost wholly undeveloped agricultural land, with the Shrewsbury by-pass crossing the very southern edge along the probable line of Henry’s deployment. We intended to walk from the car park along the path to the church and then to the exhibition, but the ground was so muddy that this idea quickly lost its appeal!

We drove to Battlefield 1403, a farm shop, butchery, deli, café and exhibition just north of the site of the battlefield and walked to the Battlefield Church, which was built within a few years of the conflict on King Henry’s orders ‘for the souls of those who fell’, and is believed to sit close to the centre of the action. It is a lovely church, deeply atmospheric and calm, offering a fitting tribute to any who have fallen in battle.

Information about the key players in the conflict is presented just inside the main door and when we arrived, gentle music was playing, adding much to the atmosphere. Now maintained by the Churches Trust, much of the building seen today is the result of an extensive restoration in the 1860s, by Samuel Pountney Smith, who saved the church from ruin. It was easy to spend time here, wondering how such a peaceful place could be built on the horrors of the past.

Walk ways have been built all round the site to make it easy to follow the route of the battlefield, but the weather was very much against us so we returned to the Battlefield 1403 exhibition room. This is a smallish space, but the owners have done an excellent job of presenting as much information as possible, including fun facts for children. Apparently, Tottenham Hotspur football club is named after Harry Hotspur!

Battlefield 1403,

Upper Battlefield,

Shrewsbury

SY4 3DB

You can read about Bolingbroke Castle, birthplace of Henry IV, here.

Bolingbroke Castle

Old Bolingbroke is a quiet village in Lincolnshire, near Spilsby, once an important gateway to the Wolds from the Fens.

The village church of St Peter and St Paul has existed on its site continuously for nearly a thousand years. Interesting graffiti, left by Medieval visitors, including mason’s marks, font inscriptions and marks to discourage demons from entering the church, is worth looking for and there is information around the church to guide your search. It was probably here that the future Henry IV, son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and Blanche of Lancaster was christened shortly after his birth. According to the church website, the font dates from this era and may have been used for this ceremony.

Henry was born at Bolingbroke Castle in 1367. It was built around 1220 by Randulph de Blundevill, Earl of Lincoln and after his death, the castle remained in the ownership of the Earls of Lincoln and was later inherited through marriage by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, who became the guardian of Richard II when, at the age of 10, the young king succeeded to the throne.

All that remains of this castle today are ruins. During the Civil War of 1642–1648, the castle became base for a Royalist garrison and was besieged by Parliamentarian forces in 1643. The Royalists surrendered that winter, and the entire castle was destroyed. 

The site is now managed by English Heritage. Open to the public at ‘any reasonable time during daylight hours’, there is a very small car park on Moat Lane with space for two or three cars. Both entrances offer wheelchair access, but the ground is very uneven and when we visited, very wet, which would not make manoeuvring a chair easy. Notice boards offer plenty of information about the site so even those visiting with no knowledge of the periods or peoples involved will gain an understanding of the events which took place here.

Wandering about this site, I wondered about Henry IV. Not one of my favourite monarchs, I know far less about him than I do about his father, John of Gaunt or John’s third wife, Katherine Swynford from all the historical fiction I read when much younger. Both of these are fascinating people, but Henry has never really appealed to me, although I like his cousin and predecessor on the throne, Richard II, even less! Still, visiting his birthplace has made me determined to find out more about him- perhaps starting with Ian Mortimer’s ‘The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-Made King’.

The castle is a beautifully peaceful spot- the only other visitors were leaving as we arrived- and it is easy to see why they would have chosen to build a castle here. Using the information boards as a guide, it is easy to imagine the ruins as they once were and spend as much time as you like, wandering around, soaking up the atmosphere and reflecting on the past.

Henry IV is buried with his second wife, Joan of Navarre, at Canterbury Cathedral, near the Shrine of St Thomas a Becket, the only tomb of a monarch in the cathedral.

Bolingbroke Castle,

Moat Lane,

Old Bolingbroke,

Spilsby,

Lincolnshire PE23 4HH