
Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
Your Holiday Essentials
18th - 24th August 2025
(7 Days)
4-star hotels, meals as indicated, drinks with dinner, all entrance fees, tour manager and expert historian throughout.
Expert Historian: Dr John Sadler
Prices:
Standard price: £2,995
Incl. travel from UK: N/A
Room sole occupancy supplement: £465
Non-refundable deposit: £525
Last chance to book
Interested in this tour but not ready to book? Register your interest using the link below and we will keep you updated on the progress of the tour.
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Tour Introduction
This tour encompasses the major sites in the bitter dynastic struggle in England known as the Wars of the Roses (1455-1485) in which we explore the battles and events that took place in this seminal conflict. We start in London where we tour the Tower of London where Edward IV’s sons mysteriously disappeared before moving to Westminster Abbey, resting place of successive English monarchs, including Henry VII. We then visit the sites of the battles of Barnet and St Albans before moving north to the site of the battle of Northampton. The swinging fortunes of both Houses of York and Lancaster are brought out so poignantly at these sites as they are at Stoke Field, considered the culmination of the conflict. Heading north we visit Towton, a bitterly fought battle which resulted in dreadful carnage in a merciless rout of the Lancastrian forces. We return south to Leeds where we marvel at the magnificent collection of medieval weaponry at the Royal Armouries Museum and learn about the tools of war and how they developed during this period. Moving on to Leicester we visit what some would say is the most captivating aspect of the tour – the last resting place of England’s last Plantagenet king, Richard III, and the staggering story of how his body was rediscovered 500 years after his death on the field of Bosworth beneath a car park.
We then move on to Bosworth Field and its Visitor Centre where Richard was slain. Here we learn about the mystery surrounding the location of the battle which was illuminated by exciting new archaeological discoveries between 2005 and 2009.
Following the course of the Wars from a chronological perspective is challenging so we end our tour at an earlier battle - Tewkesbury (1471) - which saw many leading Lancastrians killed or imprisoned. As the final resting place for many who were killed at the battle the stunningly beautiful Tewkesbury Abbey is a fitting finale to the tour.
Background
On a hot summer’s day in August 1485, Richard III died on the field of battle at Bosworth in Leicestershire. He was the last Plantagenet king and reigning British monarch to be killed at the head of an army, his short, controversial reign ending in a Wagnerian flourish. Of his three immediate predecessors, two had likely met their deaths through foul play. Indeed from 1455 the Wars of The Roses split the country in two, a bitter dynastical struggle for supremacy between the houses of York and Lancaster. Lasting for 30 years they culminated in those dramatic events at Bosworth Field when Henry Tudor’s triumph established a new royal dynasty that radically altered the course of British history.
The Wars of the Roses have captured the imagination of the English for centuries, from Shakespeare’s historical plays such as Henry VI and Richard III, to the stark comparisons in George RR Martins fantasy series ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’, popularised by HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’.
Highlights
- Accompanied by expert medieval historian Dr John Sadler
- Visit major battle sites of the Wars of the Roses: Barnet, St Albans, Northampton, Wakefield and the lesser known Stoke Field
- Stay in the beautiful historic cities of Lincoln, York and Tewkesbury
- Visit the medieval Westminster and Tewkesbury Abbeys
- Enjoy a stimulating visit to the Royal Armouries in Leeds to learn about warfare during the period
- Visit Richard III’s tomb at Leicetser Cathedral and learn about the remarkable story of how his remains were discovered under a car park
- Visit the battle site of Bosworth and its Visitor Centre to be near to where dynasties were changed and English history made
What's Included
- Expert historians throughout providing a daily variety of talks, presentations and Q&A
- 3 & 4 Star Hotels
- Buffet breakfast each morning
- Dinner parties hosted by your expert historians and tour manager
- Two drinks i,e wine or beer at each dinner and a welcome drink on first evening
- Entrance fees for sites included in itinerary
- Helpful and friendly travel advice
- Modern, comfortable, air-conditioned coach
- Tour information booklet
- The company of like-minded travelers
"I was looking forward to my tour, but it exceeded all expectations. John Sadler and the tour manager were both superb."
Itinerary
Day 1 – London.
Assemble at our London hotel around 10:00 and head to the Tower of London where Henry VI was held prisoner before his death and is also where the sons of Edward IV, known infamously as ‘The Princes in the Tower’, were held before their mysterious disappearance. We visit Westminster Abbey, the site of coronation for all English monarchs since 1066, and the burial site Henry VII. Hotel in London – 1 night. (D).
Day 2 – Barnet, St Albans and Northampton.
Barnet (1471) was a decisive Yorkist victory helping to secure the throne for Edward IV. At St Albans we’ll explore two battles that took place in the town itself, both decisive. And finally at Northampton (1460), we’ll visit the site of a brief but important battle that saw the first use of artillery in England. Hotel in Northampton – 1 night. (B, D).
Day 3 – Edgcote Moor and Stoke Field
We then drive to the site of Edgcote Moor, a clash between the forces of the Earls of Pembroke and Devon and a rebel army under the Earl of Warwick. After lunch we proceed to the site of Stoke Field (1487) in Nottinghamshire, a forlorn attempt by the Yorkists to install the pretender Lambert Simnel on the throne. Fought after Bosworth this lesser-known battle is considered the last of the Wars of the Roses. Continue to Lincoln. Hotel in Lincoln – 1 night. (B, D).
Day 4 - Sandal Castle (Battle of Wakefield) and Towton
Drive from Lincoln to Sandal Castle site of our first battle of the day, Wakefield (1460). This was a comfortable Lancastrian victory, after a number of clever ruses, and resulted in the death of Richard Plantagenet, father of Richard III.
We then proceed to what was perhaps the bloodiest battle of the Wars if not in English history: Towton (1461). Fought for some ten hours in a snowstorm it resulted in heavy losses for the Lancastrian nobility. Continue to York. Hotel in York - 1 night. (B, D).
Day 5 –Leeds
Today we drive to Leeds where we enjoy a highly stimulating day at the Royal Armouries Museum. Here we learn about the way war was waged during the time of the Wars and the developing technology which affected the weapons used. A brilliant opportunity to put into context the events of the battle sites we have visited. Drive to Leicester. Hotel in Leicester 2 nights. (B, D).
Day 6 – Bosworth
Visit Leicester Cathedral where we will see the new resting place of Richard III and the Richard III Centre where we learn about the remarkable discovery of his remains over 500 years after his violent death. We now move on to the decisive battle of the war, Bosworth. It was here in 1485 that Henry Tudor’s Lancastrian army brought an end to the Yorkist’s rule by slaying Richard III and scattering his army. His marriage to Elizabeth of York (the daughter of Edward IV) in 1486, united the two houses and the Wars of the Roses came to a timely end. (B, D).
Day 7 – Tewkesbury
On our last day we drive to Tewkesbury to visit the site of the most decisive Yorkist victory in the wars. This signalled the end of Henry VI’s reign with many leading Lancastrian’s including the Prince of Wales, and Henry’s wife Margaret of Anjou, killed or imprisoned. We also visit the abbey where many of the dead from the battle are buried.
Our tour ends at Gloucester rail station around 16:00 from where there are countrywide connections (London 1 hour 50 mins approx.). (B).
Recommended Reading List

Dr John Sadler
Dr John Sadler was a lawyer, a lecturer in war studies at the University of Sunderland Centre for Lifelong Learning and an experienced battlefield tour guide, widely published on the themes of the Border and Scottish Wars. He is an acknowledged authority on armour, weapons and fighting styles of the period and adopts an interactive approach with his audience with demonstrations of swordplay, musket drill and the odd dash of drama! He sees delivery as much a performance as a lecture!
Photo Gallery
Your Holiday Essentials
18th - 24th August 2025
(7 Days)
4-star hotels, meals as indicated, drinks with dinner, all entrance fees, tour manager and expert historian throughout.
Expert Historian: Dr John Sadler
Prices:
Standard price: £2,995
Incl. travel from UK: N/A
Room sole occupancy supplement: £465
Non-refundable deposit: £525
Last chance to book
Interested in this tour but not ready to book? Register your interest using the link below and we will keep you updated on the progress of the tour.
![]() |
Tour Reviews
View images of our most recent Wars of the Roses tour here
Take a look at some independent reviews of this tour by previous participants here