Richard, Duke of York, the disputed King of England and his 5,000 men were ready to fight for his right to the throne from his home at Sandal Castle.Richard, Duke of York, the disputed King of England and his 5,000 men were ready to fight for his right to the throne from his home at Sandal Castle.
Richard, Duke of York, the disputed King of England and his 5,000 men were ready to fight for his right to the throne from his home at Sandal Castle.

Battle of Wakefield: 15 photos from the memorial march marking 561 years since a bloody battle that would change the course of history

In almost blizzard conditions, 561-years ago, two armies clashed in a bloody battle that would change the course of the country’s history.

Richard, Duke of York, the disputed King of England and his 5,000 men were ready to fight for his right to the throne from his home at Sandal Castle.

And just a few miles away an army had been assembled at Pontefract Castle.

The Lancastrian forces, under the command of Margaret of Anjou, the wife of King Henry VI, numbered an estimated 15,000.

Both armies clashed on December 30, 1460 on land that is now Manygates Park.

It is estimated that as many as 3,000 men were killed in the battle, with Richard’s forces, the Yorkists, accounting for most of the casualties.

The battle of Wakefield was the fifth one of the Wars of the Roses fought between the Houses of Lancaster and York between 1455 and 1485 and yesterday, Monday, the Friends of Sandal Castle along with the #Frei Compagnie and the #Harrington Household groups of re-enactors took part in a Battle of Wakefield Memorial March.

It was led by the Rt Rev Tony Robinson, the Bishop of Wakefield from Wakefield Cathedral to Sandal Castle, via the Chantry Chapel and the Duke of York Monument.

Wreathes were laid and a short service was held at the castle to honour those who fell in the Battle of Wakefield on December, 30 1460, and all the victims of conflicts ever since.

*Photos by Scott Merrylees.

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