Battle of Blore Heath The Battle of Blore Heath was one of the first major battles in the English Wars of the Roses . It was fought on 23 September 1459 , at Blore Heath in Staffordshire , two miles east of the town of Market Drayton in Shropshire , England . Background . After the First Battle of St Albans in 1455 , an uneasy peace held in England . Attempts at reconciliation between the houses of Lancaster and York enjoyed but marginal success . However , both sides became increasingly wary of each other and by 1459 were actively recruiting armed supporters . Queen Margaret of Anjou continued to raise support for King Henry VI amongst noblemen , distributing an emblem of a silver swan to knights and squires enlisted by her personally , whilst the Yorkist command under the Duke of York was finding plenty of anti - royal support despite the severe punishment for raising arms against the king . The Yorkist force based at Middleham Castle in Yorkshire ( led by the Earl of Salisbury ) needed to link up with the main Yorkist army at Ludlow Castle in Shropshire . As Salisbury marched south - west through the Midlands the queen ordered Lord Audley to intercept them . The battle . Audley chose the barren heathland of Blore Heath to set up an ambush . On the morning of 23 September 1459 ( Saint Thecla ' s day ) , a force of some 10 , 000 men took up a defensive position behind a ' great hedge ' on the south - western edge of Blore Heath facing the direction of Newcastle - under - Lyme to the north - east , the direction from which Salisbury was approaching . Yorkist scouts spotted Lancastrian banners over the top of a hedge and immediately warned Salisbury . As they emerged from the woodland , the Yorkist force of some 5 , 000 men realized that a much larger enemy force was awaiting their arrival . Salisbury , instead of disbanding or withdrawing his army , immediately arranged his troops into battle order , just out of range of the Lancastrian archers . To secure his right flank , he arranged the supply wagons in a defensive laager , a circular formation to provide cover to the men . Fearing a rout , Yorkist soldiers are reported to have kissed the ground beneath them , supposing that this would be the ground on which they would meet their deaths . The two armies were separated by about 300 metres on the barren heathland . A steep - sided , wide and fast - flowing brook ran between them . The brook made Audley ' s position seemingly impenetrable . Initially , both leaders sought unsuccessfully to parley in an attempt to avoid bloodshed . In keeping with many late medieval battle s , the conflict opened with an archery duel between the longbows of both armies . At Blore Heath , this proved inconclusive because of the distance between the two sides . Salisbury , aware that any attack across the brook would be suicidal , employed a ruse to encourage the enemy to attack him . He withdrew some of his middle - order just far enough that the Lancastrians believed them to be retreating . The Lancastrians launched a cavalry charge . After they had committed themselves , Salisbury ordered his men to turn back and catch the Lancastrians as they attempted to cross the brook . It is possible that the order for this Lancastrian charge was not given by Audley but it had the effect of turning the balance in favour of Salisbury . The charge resulted in heavy casualties for the Lancastrians . The Lancastrians withdrew , and then made a second assault , possibly attempting to rescue casualties . This second attack was more successful with many Lancastrians crossing the brook . This led to a period of intense fighting in which Audley himself was killed , possibly by Sir Roger Kynaston of Myddle and Hordley . " The Earl of Salisbury , which knew the sleights , strategies and policies of warlike affairs , suddenly returned , and shortly encountered with the Lord Audley and his chief captains , ere the residue of his army could pass the water . The fight was sore and dreadful . The earl desiring the saving of his life , and his adversaries coveting his destruction , fought sore for the obtaining of their purpose , but in conclusion , the earl ' s army , as men desperate of aid and succour , so eagerly fought , that they slew the Lord Audley , and all his captains , and discomfited all the remnant of his people . . . " The death of Audley meant that Lancastrian command fell to the second - in - command , Lord Dudley , who ordered an attack on foot with some 4 , 000 men . As this attack also failed , some 500 Lancastrians joined the enemy and began attacking their own side . At this point , all remaining Lancastrian resistance collapsed and the Yorkists had only to advance to complete the rout . The rout continued through the night , with the Yorkists pursuing the fleeing enemy for miles across the countryside . At least 2 , 000 Lancastrians were killed , with the Yorkists losing nearly 1 , 000 . Aftermath . Salisbury was concerned that Lancastrian reinforcements were in the vicinity and was keen to press on southwards towards Ludlow . He made his camp on a hillside by Market Drayton that later took the name Salisbury Hill . He employed a local friar to remain on Blore Heath throughout the night and to periodically discharge a cannon in order to deceive any Lancastrians nearby into believing that the fight was continuing . Audley is buried in Darley Abbey in Derbyshire . A cross was erected at Blore Heath after the battle to mark the spot where Audley was slain . The battle was commemorated by a re - enactment each year in September at Blore Heath until 2009 .