Battle of Blore Heath

The 23rd September 2009 will mark the 550th anniversary of the Battle of Blore Heath (1459) just outside Market Drayton. The Blore Heath Heritage Group is dedicated to conserving the battlefield (little altered from 1459) and increasing public awareness of the battle. To this end it is holding a programme of events to celebrate the 550th anniversary of the battle – "Blore 550".

The battle is unusual in that most of the Lancastrian Army (which lost) were local people from the surrounding counties of Cheshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire. The Cheshire contingent lost particularly heavily and there is a story (possibly apocryphal) that Woodhouse Lane, south of Audlem, is a corruption of "Widows Lane" being the route the Cheshire widows took to recover the bodies of the fallen.

One of the main features of Blore 550 will be the annual re-enactment of the battle on the weekend closest to the anniversary (19th and 20th September) and we are planning a bigger and better event this year than ever before with activities for all the family, which includes a re-enactment of the battle with over 300 participants, ongoing displays throughout the day, large living history camp, medieval fair, falconry, hog roast and free guided walks and talks on the battlefield itself (and for parties we can put on a customised talk to suit).

In addition, over the winter months, we will be putting on a small exhibition at a number of sites connected with the events of 1459, starting at Newcastle under Lyme Museum and Art Gallery and visiting the Nantwich, Ludlow and Richmondshire museums (dates TBA). We will also be providing speakers to provide a series of talks to accompany these displays.

Fuller details of the Heritage Group and forthcoming activities can be found on the Blore Hearth Heritage Groups Website – www.bloreheath.org and advance tickets (sold at a considerable discount) are available from Market Drayton Tourist Information Office. Proceeds of the event will go towards funding the "Blore 550" programme.

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