The Battle of Blore Heath took place on the 23rd of September 1459 during the Wars of the Roses between the Lancastrians under LordAudley and the Yorkists under LordSalisbury who was marching from Yorkshire to join the Duke of York at Ludlow. LordAudley was ordered to intercept the Yorkist force and the two armies met head on two and a half miles east of Market Drayton at a place called BloreHeath. LordSalisbury, with 3,000 troops was outnumbered by more than two to one, but could not avoid giving battle. Audley took up a position just west of a little stream that crosses the Market Drayton-Newcastle-under-Lyme road, and Salisbury's men were drawn up about 150 yards east of the presentAudley Cross, which marks the spot where LordAudley fell.
The Yorkist left rested upon the boggy edge of a wood, but their right was in the air and Salisbury made a laager of his wagons to protect this flank. Whether LordSalisbury feigned retreat in order to draw LordAudley on is not certain, but the Lancastriancommander was definitely the one to attack. Two cavalry charges were repulsed, the first with heavy loss to the Lancastrians and then they mounted an infantry attack up the hill to the Yorkist position. But this too failed; there was no support from the cavalry, LordAudley had already fallen and 500 Lancastrians chose this moment to desert to the enemy. Salisbury's victory was complete and in the pursuit, which continued for two miles, the slaughter was heavy. Possibly 2000 Lancastrians perished in this battle, but less than 200 Yorkists fell. Research Battle of Blore Heath
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