Battle of Blackpool Sands Background . The early years of the 15th . century were a period of extensive naval activity in the English channel . In August 1403 , William du Chastel led a raid on Plymouth which caused substantial damage . In October 1403 , a fleet organised by John Hawley of Dartmouth and Thomas Norton of Bristol seized seven merchant vessels in the Channel and in November 1403 , a revenge raid was launched on Brittany by Sir William Wilford capturing 40 ships and caused considerable damage ashore . Despite the lateness of the season , the French under Count Waleran of St . Pol launched an attack on the Isle of Wight in December but were beaten off by local forces . The following spring , there were French raids on Portland and Weymouth . The French fleet . In April or May 1404 , William du Chastel assembled a fleet of 300 ships at St . Malo in Brittany . He embarked 2000 knights and men - at - arms , plus light infantry and crossbowmen . He had two vice - admirals , the Lords of Chateaubriand and de Jaille . Discipline , however , was poor and , on the first day after sailing , part of the fleet attacked some allied Spanish wineships . Although order was restored , parts of the fleet broke away , leaving du Chastel to sail on towards his target of Dartmouth with reduced forces . On arriving off Blackpool Sands , a wide beach approximately 3 miles South - West of Dartmouth near the village of Stoke Fleming , he dropped anchor and waited for six days to allow his fleet to reassemble . The English Defence . The period of waiting forced on the French fleet allowed John Hawley , local merchant , privateer and former Mayor of Dartmouth , to organise the defence of the town . Local men were joined by troops from inland as a well as a number of local women , mustering a force alleged by French sources to number 6000 in total , though Norman Longmate considers this to be " grossly exaggerated " . They prepared a fortified position at Blackpool Sands consisting of a water - filled ditch crossed by a narrow causeway and awaited the French assault . John Hawley does not seem to have taken part in the battle and who commanded the English is unknown . Norman Longmate says that the Earl of Warwick advised Hawley on the defensive preparations but not that he was present at the battle . Juliet Barker states that Sir John Cornwaille was responsible for defeating the French , though she doesn ' t seem to have detailed knowledge of the battle as she places it at Blackpool in Lancashire . The battle . After six days , the French fleet had not fully reassembled . Du Chastel and de Jaille conferred ( Chateaubriand appears to have been absent ) and decided to land and attack the English with the men they had to hand , which apparently consisted only of 200 men - at - arms . Du Chastel felt that the English position should be flanked but de Jaille insisted on a frontal assault , accusing his fellow admiral of being afraid . Insulted , du Chastel ordered an immediate attack . The French disembarked and formed up to attack . Contrary to their usual practice , they did not deploy an advance screen of crossbowmen and the men - at - arms led the attack . As they advanced , they were shot at by English archers behind the ditch and pelted with stones by local women in the army . The main assault was made against the causeway but the French could not force the English back . An attempt was made to wade the ditch and , although some drowned , others succeeded in crossing . They were , however , unable to gain a foothold and were forced back . Eventually , the French gave up and attempted to retreat to their ships . Du Chastel , refusing to withdraw , was killed . Numbers of French were killed as they fled and a hundred prisoners were taken , including three lords and 22 knights . Among the captured were two of du Chastel ' s brothers . The Aftermath . News of the victory was sent to London and a service of thanksgiving was held in Westminster Abbey , attended by the king . On 25th . May , Henry IV asked the Mayor of Dartmouth to send five of the prisoners to Nottingham for interrogation . He had discovered a plot against him by Margaret Countess of Oxford , which involved a French force being landed and wished to know whether there was any connection with the Dartmouth raid . A Welsh esquire had also been captured , so possible connections to Owain Glendower ' s revolt needed to be investigated . The battle had no lasting impact . There is an unconfirmed suggestion that Tanneguy du Chastel led a further , more successful , raid on Dartmouth later in the year to avenge his brother . Elsewhere on the Channel coast , French raids would continue in 1404 and into 1405 . See also . John Hawley of Dartmouth