Bosworth Field

[poliphilo]

At the time they called it the Battle of Redesmoor. Which rather suggests that it was fought, not on Ambion hill where the visitors centre stands, but in the marshy lowlands to the south, between Ambion hill and the village of Dadlington, where many of the dead were buried and where Henry VII established a chantry chapel.  It's odd; Bosworth Field is one of the two or three decisive battles in English history, but we know very little about it- much less (for example)  than we know about the Battle of Hastings four hundred years before.

Later historians called it Bosworth after the nearby town of Market Bosworth to the north. The battle didn't impinge on the town, but its spire is the local landmark, and is visible from most quarters of the presumed battlefield.

It's a mild, unspectacular  Midlands landscape. Tiny villages, a railway line, a canal. Birdsong. Pretty much as I imagined it  in the first purchas book. (Phew!)

Anyway, here are some pictures:


The Church at Market Bosworth


Market Bosworth on its ridge, viewed from Ambion hill.


Looking South from Ambion hill, towards the likely site of the battle. There wasn't a wood there in 1485.


From Ambion Hill looking west



King Richard's Well. Legend has it that Richard III drank from this well before the battle. The fancy pyramid is the work of a late 19th century American Richardian. 

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure. I'm reporting what was written on the information board beside the well and I may have misread or misunderstood. What I should have done is take a photo of it so I could refer back to the text.

I think it's possible that the structure over the well has gone through several versions. What's there now isn't a cairn (in my book) because the stones are mortared together.

Thanks for the link. It makes me want to hurry back and see all the things I missed on our flying visit. Ah well, there will be other opportunities...