The Battlefield of Evesham

Look on most pages in a motoring road atlas of Great Britain or, indeed, many Ordnance Survey maps of the country, and you will as likely as not see a symbol of crossed swords. This indicates the site of a battle and the numbers next to the symbol give the year of the event. The obvious sites, such as Hastings, Marston Moor, and Edgehill, are all familiar and have memorials to the battle, but there are many others which are lesser known and some all but forgotten.

Battles of Britain
It comes as something of a surprise to some people when they learn how many wars have beset Britain, with their attendant battles from each period extending across the country. Even the less familiar battle sites often have memorials which can be visited, and the battlefield walked. For example, the conflict known as the ‘Second Barons’ War’, fought between 1263 and 1265, was actually a civil war headed by Simon de Montfort, the Earl of Leicester, against King Henry III, who was not a very successful or popular monarch. However, his son, Prince Edward, who would inherit the crown and reign as King Edward I between 1272 and 1307, would prove himself a masterful tactician and leader.
After being held prisoner since his father lost the Battle of Lewes on May 14th, 1264, Prince Edward, having recently escaped captivity, set about raising support for the royal army. By mid-1265 he had a force of 20,000 men with which he was able to campaign through the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire between July and August. Several set-piece battles were fought during this period, such as the Battle of Kenilworth on August 2nd, where Edward defeated the Earl of Leicester’s son, Simon. Edward moved towards Worcester, arriving on August 3rd. The Earl of Leicester decided to move to meet his son at Kenilworth, a stronghold for the rebel barons, not knowing of his defeat.
His route would take him through Evesham, where he arrived on August 3rd. Learning of this, Edward spurred his army of some 10,000 men into making a forced night march, a distance of about 16 miles, arriving in the early hours of the morning and taking up positions on the high ground to the north of the town on a ridge known as Green Hill. Edward placed himself on the east of the modern A4184 road which runs through the town. On his right, he placed the Duke of Gloucester, and he sent Roger Mortimer with a force to secure the stone bridge over the River Avon at Bengeworth, well to the rear of de Montfort’s position.
Edward’s army was carrying banners captured at Kenilworth, which made de Montfort think it was his son, Simon. Realising his mistake, it was too late to change his position and he was trapped in a wide sweeping bend of the River Avon, which ran along his rear and both flanks. With Edward to his north and the bridge held by Edward’s forces, de Montfort decided to try and fight his way out. Ordering the attack he was heard to say: “May God have mercy on our souls, for our bodies are the foe’s.” As the two sides clashed, a thunderstorm erupted and it rained heavily, turning the ground into mud.
It is difficult to determine how long the battle lasted but in whatever direction de Montfort’s men fell back, they were faced by the river. A great slaughter now ensued, as Edward saw this as revenge for turning against the king, his father. Simon de Montfort was killed along with two of his sons and a third was taken captive. As they were pushed ever further back towards the river, many would have drowned as they tried to escape. Between 3,000 and 4,000 men from de Montfort’s army of 5,000 men were killed, in what the chronicler Robert of Gloucester described as: “Such was the murder at Evesham, for battle it was not.” Casualties among Edward’s forces were very light. Today, the battle is considered by many to be one of the most brilliantly conducted engagements of the age and sees Edward ranked as one of the finest commanders.

What’s to see?
Outside the town of Evesham, the battle may not be as well-known as, say, Sedgemoor, but locally it is commemorated in August every year with a festival and battle re-enactment, complete with cavalry and men-at-arms. Various routes connected to the battle have been created for visitors to walk on self-guided tours. One is in the centre of the town around the Almonry Museum and Abbey Gates, which takes in the grave of Simon de Montfort and the nearby stone bridge at Bengeworth, held by Roger Mortimer during the battle. This route also has a detailed information board with suggested walks.
Further afield, near Abbey Manor, memorials have been erected, but much of the ground is private property. However, it is possible to walk to these sites and view the topography of the battlefield to understand Edward’s tactics and what an impossible position de Montfort placed himself in. The Simon de Montfort Society have created a ‘Battle Trail’, details of which can be found at: www.visitevesham.co.uk/about-vale/battle-trail/. For this year’s annual battle re-enactment and Medieval Festival, the full details can be found at: www.battleofevesham.co.uk
Whichever method you choose to use as a guide, it is a fascinating chapter of this country’s incredible history to investigate. For example, bridges are vital in any war, just look at Arnhem for example, and standing at Bengeworth Bridge you can understand the strategy behind Edward’s move to secure it and thereby trap his enemy. The Almonry Museum is also worth a visit, with its eclectic range of artefacts, from fossils to agricultural implements, but also the 13th-century items from the time of the battle. The town was also involved in the English Civil War in the 17th century and there are artefacts on display associated with this conflict. Details can be found at: www.almonryevesham.org