BOSWORTH BATTLEFIELD A Reassessment Glenn Foard 2004 This report has been prepared by Glenn Foard FSA MIFA for Chris Burnett Associates on behalf of Leicestershire County Council. Copyright © Leicestershire County Council & Glenn Foard 2004 Cover picture: King Richard’s Field as depicted on Smith’s map of Leicestershire of 1602 Page 2 30/06/2004 BOSWORTH BATTLEFIELD A Reassessment Glenn Foard Page 3 30/06/2004 Figure 1: A view by Rimmer (1898) of the Ambion Hill site looking east, showing King Richard's Well. This is the battlefield as currently interpreted at the Battlefield Centre, which now occupies the farm in the background. Page 4 30/06/2004 CONTENTS CONTENTS.............................................................................................................................. 5 List of Illustrations.................................................................................................................... 7 Acknowledgements................................................................................................................... 8 Copyright .................................................................................................................................. 9 Abbreviations............................................................................................................................ 9 SUMMARY............................................................................................................................ 10 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 12 2. A REVIEW OF CURRENT INTERPRETATIONS ...................................................... 13 The Atherstone hypothesis.................................................................................................. 13 A battle near Merevale.................................................................................................... 14 Townships paid compensation........................................................................................ 15 Naming of the battle........................................................................................................ 15 The Traditional Location: Alternative Battlefield Sites...................................................... 17 Burton ............................................................................................................................. 18 Hutton ............................................................................................................................. 18 Williams.......................................................................................................................... 20 Wright ............................................................................................................................. 22 Foss ................................................................................................................................. 22 The Battlefield Register .................................................................................................. 25 Assessment.......................................................................................................................... 26 3. MILITARY HISTORY................................................................................................... 27 Primary sources................................................................................................................... 27 Campaign ............................................................................................................................ 27 Needs............................................................................................................................... 29 Armies & military practice in the 15th century ................................................................... 29 Composition and equipping of armies ............................................................................ 29 Military practice in the 15th century and the methodology of battlefield study.............. 31 Richard’s battle array.................................................................................................. 34 Henry’s battle array..................................................................................................... 35 Deployment location................................................................................................... 36 The Action ...................................................................................................................... 37 Richard’s cavalry Charge............................................................................................ 38 Rout............................................................................................................................. 39 Locational evidence in primary sources ............................................................................. 39 The battlefield ................................................................................................................. 40 Richard’s camp ............................................................................................................... 40 The plain ......................................................................................................................... 40 The Stanley deployment ................................................................................................. 41 The marsh........................................................................................................................ 41 Battle arrays and lines of march...................................................................................... 41 Richard’s cavalry attack.................................................................................................. 42 Richard’s death ............................................................................................................... 42 Norfolk’s death ............................................................................................................... 42 Henry’s Crowning........................................................................................................... 42 Needs................................................................................................................................... 42 4. THE BATTLEFIELD ..................................................................................................... 43 Methodology of reconstruction of historic terrain.............................................................. 43 Page 5 30/06/2004 Physical geography ............................................................................................................. 43 Relief and drainage ......................................................................................................... 44 Geology & soils .............................................................................................................. 44 Land use.............................................................................................................................. 45 Administrative and tenurial organisation.................................................................... 45 Open fields.................................................................................................................. 46 Marsh and moor .......................................................................................................... 48 Gorse, heath and wood................................................................................................ 50 Enclosure..................................................................................................................... 50 Communications ............................................................................................................. 51 Sandeford .................................................................................................................... 52 Settlement ....................................................................................................................... 52 Needs............................................................................................................................... 52 5. BATTLE ARCHAEOLOGY.......................................................................................... 54 Artefacts.......................................................................................................................... 55 Antiquarian and other non survey finds...................................................................... 55 Metal detecting finds................................................................................................... 56 Taphonomy ................................................................................................................. 56 Burials............................................................................................................................. 56 Previous survey work.......................................................................................................... 58 Metal detecting................................................................................................................ 59 Fieldwalking ................................................................................................................... 60 Remote sensing ..............................................................................................................