Battle of Lewes 1264
Who Fought
Royal forces: approximately 10,000; Baronial forces: approximately 5,000 (royalist army roughly twice the size of de Montfort's forces)
History & Significance
The Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons' War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264. It marked the high point of the career of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and made him the "uncrowned King of England". Henry III's forces left the safety of Lewes Castle and St. Pancras Priory to engage the barons in battle and were initially successful, with Henry's son Prince Edward routing part of the baronial army with a cavalry charge. However, Edward pursued his quarry off the battlefield and left Henry's men exposed. Henry was forced to launch an infantry attack up Offham Hill where he was defeated by the barons' men defending the summit. The royalists fled back to the castle and priory and the King was forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, ceding many of his powers to de Montfort.
Henry III was an unpopular monarch due to his autocratic style, displays of favouritism and refusal to negotiate with the barons. The barons eventually imposed a constitutional reform known as the Provisions of Oxford upon Henry, including provision for a thrice-yearly meeting led by Simon de Montfort to discuss matters of government. Henry sought to escape the restrictions of the provisions and applied to Louis IX of France to arbitrate in the dispute. Louis agreed with Henry and annulled the provisions. Montfort was angered by this and rebelled against the King along with other barons in the Second Barons' War.
The war was not initially openly fought as each side toured the country to raise support for their army. A series of massacres of Jews in Worcester, London, Canterbury and other cities was conducted by Montfort's allies.
By May, the King's force had reached Lewes where they intended to halt to allow reinforcements to reach them. The King encamped at St. Pancras Priory with a force of infantry, while his son, Prince Edward (later King Edward I), commanded the cavalry at Lewes Castle 500 yards (500 m) to the north. De Montfort approached the King with the intention of negotiating a truce or, failing that, drawing him into open battle. The King rejected the negotiations, and de Montfort moved his men from Fletching to Offham Hill, a mile to the north-west of Lewes, in a night march that surprised the royalist forces.
The royalist army approached twice the size of de Montfort's. Henry commanded the centre, with Prince Edward, William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke, and John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey, on the right; and Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, and his son, Henry of Almain, on the left. The barons held the higher ground overlooking Lewes and had ordered their men to wear white crosses as a distinguishing emblem. De Montfort split his forces into four parts, giving his son, Henry de Montfort command of one quarter; Gilbert de Clare with John FitzJohn and William of Montchensy another; a third portion consisting of Londoners was placed under Nicholas de Segrave whilst de Montfort himself led the fourth quarter with Thomas of Pelveston.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Lewes 1264 lies on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.
- Royal forces: 2,700; Baronial forces: unknown
This battlefield is listed on the Register of Historic Battlefields — a national designation identifying Britain's most significant battle sites for protection and further research. Reference: NHLE 1000018.
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- Battle of Lewes 1264 · Historic England
- Battle of Lewes · Wikidata
- Battle_of_Lewes · Wikipedia
- Battle of Lewes · BritishBattles.com