BattlefieldsBattle against Leonard Dacre at Gelt River 1570
Tudor

Battle against Leonard Dacre at Gelt River 1570

1570
Cumbria, England
Also known as: Dacre's rebellion 1570 · Hunsdon defeats Dacre
Era
Tudor
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Cumbria, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Leonard Dacre and border reivers
Forces
Dacre and border reivers c.1,000–1,500.
VS
Victor
Crown (Lord Hunsdon)
Forces
Crown forces c.1,500–2,000 (Hunsdon)
Outcome
Hunsdon defeated Dacre's force of 3,000 reivers; Dacre fled to Scotland; his lands forfeited
The Battle

History & Significance

Leonard Dacre, who had initially posed as a loyalist during the Northern Rising, eventually revealed himself as a rebel when he attacked Lord Hunsdon's forces at the Gelt river. Hunsdon defeated him despite being outnumbered and wrote to Elizabeth I that it was 'the most terrible and brute action of my life.' Dacre fled to Scotland and died in exile. The defeat ended armed opposition to Elizabeth I in the north and led to stringent measures against the border clans who had supported the rebels.

Casualties & Losses

c.300–400 Dacre men killed; remainder dispersed

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Cumbria

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Cumbria