Death of Chivalry

Tour Introduction

Henry III’s rejection of the ‘Provisions of Oxford’, probably England’s first written constitution, to which he had paid lip service whilst raising much needed taxes, resulted in his brother-in-law, Simon de Montfort, raising an army of disenchanted nobles. For two years during the mid-thirteenth century England was torn by a bloody civil war during which Henry and his son were taken prisoner after the battle of Lewes in 1264 leaving De Montfort as de facto leader of England for a short time. However Prince Edward (later Edward I) made good his escape to raise a new royal army which slaughtered the rebels at Evesham in 1265, mutilating de Montfort’s corpse in the process. The survivors fled to Kenilworth castle to endure the longest ever siege on English soil, finally surrendering in December 1266.

Background

This long week-end battlefield tour provides an expert in-situ narrative of the major battles and sieges of the war. Through handling weapons and equipment, demonstrations of battlefield tactics and personal combat during the Lewes 750th anniversary commemorations you will gain a thorough appreciation of mediaeval warfare under the guidance of Dr John Sadler.

Itinerary