"Battle of Wakefield"

by Graham Turner

Open Edition Print.
Overall print size, including border - 37cm x 30cm (14.5"x 12")

On December 30th, 1460, the heirs of the Lancastrian Nobles killed at St. Albans found themselves able to avenge their father's deaths when their army trapped the Duke of York and Earl of Salisbury in Sandal Castle, near Wakefield. Lured out from the safety of the castle walls and into open battle, York's heavily outnumbered force found themselves surrounded and in the fierce melee that followed, York and many of his followers lost their lives, his son, Edmund, amongst them.


The Earl of Salisbury was captured and taken to Pontefract by the Duke of Somerset where he was summarily executed, his head joining those of the other Yorkist leaders over the gates of York.


However, the Lancastrian triumph was to be short lived, for they were almost totally annihilated three months later at the battle of Towton.