Battlefields›Lancastrian skirmish at Bywell 1464
Medieval

Lancastrian skirmish at Bywell 1464

1464
Northumberland, England
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Northumberland, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Lancastrians
VS
Victor
Yorkists
Outcome
Yorkist forces were sent to seize Henry VI at Bywell Castle following the Lancastrian defeat at Hexham on 15 May 1464. Henry and his attendants fled just before the Yorkists arrived, abandoning baggage including the king's crowned helmet and cap of estate. No source describes an actual armed clash at Bywell itself; it was a narrow escape rather than a fought engagement.
The Battle

History & Significance

Lancastrian skirmish at Bywell 1464 was a medieval skirmish, fought at Northumberland, England in 1464. Yorkists prevailed over Lancastrians. Yorkist forces were sent to seize Henry VI at Bywell Castle following the Lancastrian defeat at Hexham on 15 May 1464. Henry and his attendants fled just before the Yorkists arrived, abandoning baggage including the king's crowned helmet and cap of estate. No source describes an actual armed clash at Bywell itself; it was a narrow escape rather than a fought engagement.

Confirmed battlefield location
The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Lancastrian skirmish at Bywell 1464 lies on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Everything a full report reveals about Lancastrian skirmish at Bywell 1464

This page covers Lancastrian skirmish at Bywell 1464. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
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Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Lancastrian skirmish at Bywell 1464

Romano-British farmstead, 900m north east of Thornborough High Barns
Romano-British farmstead, 900m north east of Thornborough High Barns
Scheduled monument · ~3 mi

The Romano-British farmstead located 900 metres north-east of Thornborough High Barns is a scheduled ancient monument in Northumberland representing settlement activity during the Roman occupation of Britain. The site comprises archaeological remains of a Romano-British agricultural establishment…

Prudhoe Castle tower keep castle
Prudhoe Castle tower keep castle
Scheduled monument · ~3.4 mi

Prudhoe Castle is a Norman fortress situated on the River Tyne in Northumberland, founded in the late twelfth century by the de Umfraville family as a motte-and-bailey stronghold that was subsequently developed with stone fortifications. The castle's most prominent feature is its substantial ston…

Chris Tweedy / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Corbridge Bridge
Corbridge Bridge
Scheduled monument · ~3.5 mi

Corbridge Bridge is a Roman bridge crossing the River Tyne at Corbridge in Northumberland, dating to the second century AD. The bridge formed part of the Roman road network serving the important fort at Corbridge (Corstopitum), which occupied a strategic position on the Stanegate frontier during…

Dennis Lovett / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Vicar's pele tower
Vicar's pele tower
Scheduled monument · ~3.6 mi

Vicar's pele tower is a late medieval defensive structure located in Northumberland, England. The tower dates from the fourteenth or fifteenth century and represents the class of fortified dwellings constructed throughout the Anglo-Scottish border region during the period of cross-border conflict…

RHaworth / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Walker's Pottery
Walker's Pottery
Scheduled monument · ~3.6 mi

Walker's Pottery is a pottery production site located in Northumberland, England, dating to the Romano-British period. The site represents evidence of ceramic manufacture during the Roman occupation of Britain, with archaeological deposits and kiln remains indicating local pottery production. The…

Benjamin Shaw / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Aydon Castle medieval hall, fortified manor and eighteenth century farm buildings
Aydon Castle medieval hall, fortified manor and eighteenth century farm buildings
Scheduled monument · ~3.7 mi

Aydon Castle is a fortified manor house situated near Corbridge in Northumberland, dating from the late thirteenth century. The castle comprises a substantial stone hall block with defensive features characteristic of the borderland fortified houses of medieval England, constructed during a perio…

Hadrianus1959 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Bywell Castle gate tower
Scheduled monument · ~0.6 miles
Wheelbirks furnace
Scheduled monument · ~2.4 miles
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Battles near Lancastrian skirmish at Bywell 1464

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