The Battle of Towton 1461 - A Battlefield Tour
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- Опубликовано: 22 авг 2020
- A walk around this famous battlefield from the Wars of the Roses, and an explanation of the key events of that bloody Palm Sunday in 1461, with Andy Johnson the military/action/adventure novelist and former soldier.
Thank you everyone for all your support on this video. For anyone that’s interested I have written a series of historical fiction novels, based on World War 2. I will leave the link here for anyone who wants to check them out…
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/kindle/series/B079ZZHQNM?ie=UTF8&ref_=sr_1_4
This is the best independent, self-made military documentary I've seen on RUclips - extraordinary detail and narration. Well done!
What a little refreshing gem of a video hidden among the usual Timeline type documentaries. Top marks for presentation, and immersion.
This is fascinating,I can't get enough of this stuff! I was born in Barnet Hertfordshire, lived there until I was six when we moved to Potters Bar and I always gravitated to Bar net to imagine the battle in 1471 on the common and the surrounding area which still, apparently,has mist hanging over it on occasion to give the location an eerie, timeless feel! Thanks for doing this work 👍It matters not how long ago it was,they were still people worth acknowledging and praying for their souls! History is not just "in the dim and distant past;it is now, it's important and relevant!
Towton is just up the road from me and I've read many articles and seen many videos about the battle. This one is up there with the very best. Many thanks.
Archaeological findings in the late 20th century shed light on the final moments of the battle. In 1996 workmen at a construction site in the town of Towton uncovered a mass grave, which archaeologists believed to contain the remains of men who were slain during or after the battle in 1461. The bodies showed severe injuries to their upper torsos; arms and skulls were cracked or shattered. One exhumed specimen, known as Towton 25, had the front of his skull bisected: a weapon had slashed across his face, cutting a deep wound that split the bone. The skull was also pierced by another deep wound, a horizontal cut from a blade across the back.
The Lancastrians lost more troops in their rout than from the battlefield. No chivalry was in evidence on that day.
I just love what you did at the end there. No matter who was killed, from whatever side, all of these men deserve to be respected and remembered, like all others who have fell in War, no matter who they bore arms for. These sites are sacred, it is consecrated ground, these events are part of our history. In God's name, I wish they were taught more in our schools, instead of being ashamed, we should be immensely proud of our history, and proud to be British. Our education system is all wrong when it come to history. We have a history to be proud of. This sceptred isle, this England.
It’s an excellent history lesson but why are you going on about the way children are taught?
Do you know what and how they learn history today?
I am 69 and never learned about this before.
My history lessons were a load of sanitised facts based on an ideal line of royalty and jolly England.
I am proud of being English, but that’s just an accident of death, but ashamed of our Empire days for the brutality and cruelty we enforced on millions.
Yeah, but why can’t we honor the living? Dying is easy. Dying in battle isn’t a glorious thing.
Well done sir this was a great watch. It’s great to see the actual battlefields being toured. Towton must have been some sight to see. 28000 dead on a winters day it’s astonishing. I’ve been to Waterloo myself and it was unbelievably the best day of my life👍🏻🏴
Possibly the only British battle to come close to this would have been Brunanburh, where King Aethelstan’s English defeated an alliance of Danes, Scots and others in the 10th century. However, the number of combatants is not known for that battle.
This is just amazing, thanks for taking us through the battlefield…I would love to walk the battlefield, .what gets me , it was civil war between nobles, and everybody who fought would have known each other, cousins, close relationships, brothers, womenfolk waiting the outcome, mothers, daughters, etc also against each other.
Best overview of the Battle I've ever seen ! Thank you.
That was the most outstanding presentation about this battle ive seen ever. And ive seen every documentary and youtube film about it. What really strikes me, is the extremely large scale of the battlefield. I always thougt of medieval battles being very confined in a small area, but this proves the opposite, the reality.
It even rivals later battles f.e. in the napoleonic wars where the battlefields extended for tens or hundreds of kilometers. For a medieval battlefield it is extremely large.
Also i want to add, that only two battles in medieval history really strike me with a bit of horror. Not because of the fighting itself, but more because of the sense of fate and "doom" that preceeds the battle and lies in the air, because so much is at stake and will literraly influence, shape and define the lifes of many many others that will come after.
The other battles from the medieval period that give me the same feeling, are Grunwald/Tannenberg, or Cannae and Carrhae in the ancient time.
I dont want to get to esoteric here, but,
because they all have something very fateful and horrific about them. I dont know how to describe it... I can really immerse myself in them. Its just as if i was there amongst the armies , back in time...
And suddenly i can feel a foreboding dread and fear, as if i know the outcome of the battle before it started. There are feelings like horror, hope- and helplessness - mixed with a deep sadness that nothing can stop it. Its like in a dream.. Wherever i look i see the faces of the soldiers preparing for battle and it feels like looking at already dead men.. RIP brave soldiers. Doesnt matter if the battle is mystified and turned into legend in our time. For you it was real and was the last day of your life.
When i read the names of the dead participants and when you look at genealogy sites about the family trees, and maybe even are a distant relative to your very own family tree, It even gets a much much more personal note. These were not complete strangers to us. But our forefathers and real human beings with a life that ended there suddenly. As in every other battle fought on earth we should keep that in mind.
Brilliant! Thank you for making this.
I've taken a keen interest in the battle ever since becoming aware of it.
As Robert Hardy said, "There is something about Towton"
Great and awesome presentation! Thank you Mr. Johnson for putting this video together.
You captured the scene perfectly. Great reconstruction. Felt like I was there. Must have been horrendous for those involved. A hell on Earth.
Very well described and illustrated. Great job, Thank you 👍
I’m from Garforth and have never walked the battlefield, your excellent account of the battle has inspired me to take a walk and feel the place. Thank you very much !
Excellent delivery. Good script and first rate delivery. Well Done.
Sensational telling of history - thank you
This is the best camera display explaining any battlefield without graphics... good job who ever that guy was and the camera man!
Thank you - most kind 👍
I went to Towton many years ago and also visited many other war of the roses battle sites, This video captures the battle and explains what actually happened and for that i thank you
Thank you for talking this through with such a masterful narrative.
this was really well done, he told the story of the battle really well.
Thank you,I have been to there many times,and your description of the battle ranks with AH Bourne ,John Kinross and Alison wire.wonderful to listen to,take a bow Sir.
Excellent description. I was at Church Fenton for four years and never knew this place existed. So clise yet so far.
Thankyou for teaching me about British history, that I was largely unaware about.
I live just a few miles away just out side Castleford I have passed the marker many times now I can take a good look at the battlefield thanks to your marvellous video, a cold windy day will give the best effect a very sad loss of life I have to say.
A battle I knew very little about, now rectified. Many thanks.
Thank you. Such a brilliant video and account of a battle which I dont think gets enough focus. Nor does Edward IV as a warrior King
Thanks for bringing the battle to life for me, as I probably will never get there to see first hand!
excellent battlefield tour . Very well explained. A definate springtime walk for future .
Beautiful touch at the end with the 2 roses, well done Sir 😉👍
Thank you Raymond. Hoping to get some more battlefields in this Aurumn. 👍
@@bravemendiedhereuk3597 Brilliant
This was a excellent video. I used to live in Pontefract and worked in Ferrybridge and never heard of this awful battle. I now live in New Zealand thank you
Well presented sir.
Really enjoyed this one!! Excellent detail and delivery!! Without doubt, one of the best battlefield guides on RUclips!!!!
Thank you very much for your kind words 👍
just incredible
Thank you for making this in depth video on Towton. It's absolutely brilliant 👏
Thoroughly enjoyable, please, please do more medieval battles! Extremely well presented, a little bit of polishing on the edit and some slightly better camera work.. but apart from that.. brilliant.. bravo!! There's little on youtube worth watching about Towton apart from the "Blood red roses" documentary.. this video fills a yawning chasm between that and far less worthwhile videos. Thank you again.. excellent!! 😃👍👍👍👍
An absolutey superb video, which was about as in depth and interesting as could be.
I especially enjoyed the 'all aspects' view, taking in the field of battle and the relevant surrounding areas, which brought to life the scale, and moreover, the foreboding sense that those involved must have felt prior to engagement, and subsequently the fear and dread of the ensuing rout.
Sincere and poignant.
Thank you.
Nice that.
I bet there’s loads of arrow heads I’m them fields 🧐
Excellent explanation of the events, really helps you understand the circumstances.
Lived in York and we drove on the road many times and thought of the horror's of that day , Didn't know it was the road from London to York though, thank you for a informative and respectful video.
I was listening to kingmaker winter pilgrims and this video was extremely helpful in placing events of the battle in the book. Thank you!
Fantastic video. Just subscribed and I can’t wait for more content 👍🏻.
Raymond , I could not agree with you more!
Excellent vid.
Greetings from Arkansas, USA and just subscribed. Love your history telling and your knowledge is superb I'm hooked.
I’ve enjoyed this very much, there was another famous battle near York at Stamford Bridge please do a programme on that one please.
It's on the list once lockdown is over 👍
Great thanks.
The battle of Stamford Bridge would be a great watch from this superb channel, it was fought just over a fortnight before the Battle of Hastings, the Viking’s tried to pip William the Conqueror to the post when they found out that Edward the Confessor died. Although he won the day at Stamford Bridge Harold’s trained troops suffered some heavy casualties, pretty much immediately afterwards Harold marched his battle weary troops south to
meet William, Harold tried to gather conscripts as he passed through the shires on the way down, he ended up with many untrained farm labourers ect who were willing to fight, but would of been absolutely no mach for a highly trained Norman soldier,
i do believe that was Harold’s main mistake, his eagerness to face the Normans probably cost him the day at Hastings.
He should of waited until William made his move from his beachhead. In a way Harold had William exactly where he wanted him. Even his own mother pleaded with him not to be so hasty.Things may of been different if he played it right.
I learned a lot more about this battle through your tour; thanks so much. beautifully presented. two thumbs up.
Thank you for the extremely detailed explanation of this battle, your presentations are most excellent and I appreciate your videos and the respect you display for both sides. I am an American subscriber from Plymouth Massachusetts a very short distance from where the Mayflower is birthed. I'd like to take a moment and thank you again for Poppy you left for us on Omaha Beach, if you ever need anything from Plymouth Im hear...
Thank you for kind words 👍
Fauconberg appears to have been much of the military genius behind Edward's campaign. Had Henry not so catastrophiccally mismanaged the French war, Fauconberg may have been given a significant command in France.
Thank You. Great video - very well told. Well done. Amazing history & politics. Peace & Health
WOW best walking tour I have seen anywhere on Towton! Great job!
Brutally truthful commentary
Just watching this the night before visiting the battlefield with a friend! Great video - really clear and informative.
Enjoyed that, looking forward to watching the rest of your videos ....................... it's a LIKE from me ;)
What an excellent well researched documentary, with excellent narration..pleased to have found this channel.
Well done. Very informative. Thanks!
Thank so much, I live right next to the field where the ferrybridge battle was fought... I loved your video.. thanks again...
Very well done. The narrative is excellent. I hope you plan to do a video on Bosworth.
What a beautiful video and that homage in the end to top it off ❤
That was the best battlefield tour i have ever seen
Thankyou for making this video. I visited the site this week after several years of research and interest. Your video captures the timeline of the battle well and gives a clear understanding of the positioning of both sides.
Thank you so much for a superbly researched and presented History lesson on Plantagenet Britain 🇬🇧. I was born not too far away in 1946 and have visited the site several times, but not recently as I now live in Derbyshire. However, I will revisit there this Summer (2021) hopefully when the now worst ever battle on English soil is over - the battle against Covid 19.
Thank you Andy, an excellent tour of the field of battle, very professional delivery.
Edward achieved all this while still a teenager, amazing man.
VERY well done. Big thanks for uploading. Thumb up & subscribed. You - Sir - have a gift for telling stories.
PS. It's almost hard to believe that such a beauiful and peaceful stretch of lands holds the secrets of one of the bloodiest battles ever fought (not just on British soil, by the way!).
Thank you; most kind of you.
Great video. Keep up the good work, mate.
Thank you Chris 👍
i walked theTowton battle trail 11/9/21 a sunny day, a nice walk, Saxton village worth a trip too.
Fantastic video. I really enjoyed this; The progression of the battle seems easier to understand now. My next trip to U.K. will have to include a visit here...
Thanks for the upload.
Great job
Nice one, Andy - this is a fascinating and informative talk.
Thanks. ☝️😎
Excellent & entertaining as usual. With the numbers & distances involved one has to wonder at (amongst other things) the size of the clean up operation after the battle.
Cleanup might have made a lucky few wealthy in weapons, armour, rings, coin. Not many hostages taken for ransom.
Mine, Yours, Our history, thankfully their are Englishmen such as you who remind us from whence we came, great respect to your knowledge and thanks for such a narrative to remind us to Respect Our forberes, be they also Welsh men, Anglo-Saxon or Norman may they rest in peace.
Superb! Finally I get how the land affected the outcome. A brilliant tour, excellent explanation of the battle and a real feeling of how horrendous it must have been on the ground for those men. Thank you so much for such a good video.
Really enjoyed that ta...i just cant imagine the horrors that took place.Unusualy they found graves too if im right....damn fine show leaving the flowers.✌️
Excellent video. Very informative. Thank you.
Nice to see you back this was brilliant do enjoy these history lessons ....😁 Moor
This is a brilliant informative video , thank you 🙏
Man I love the way this to explain this battle! Really great channel.
Great video mate. You've a real talent for presenting. Some maps and drone footage spliced in of the battlefields you visit would be a great help. Awesome content regardless! Stirling on your short list?
Thank you; most kind 👍
Yes, a couple of extra maps and movements cut into video would help illustrate this excellent presentation.
Fantastic so well told.
Nicely done! Thank you for this!
Brilliant vid - thanks
Nice to see you back sir! Will listen later, when I have time to enjoy! Cheers from Canada, wsj
Thank you for watching 👍
@@bravemendiedhereuk3597 -- my pleasure. I visit the UK sometimes, so I hope you do some more British battle videos. Cheers, wsj
Great video this, one of the best I've seen on the Battle of Towton, thank u.
Absolutely fantastic content, brother. You really know and love your history great to see, subscribed👍
Very interesting. Thank you. 👍
Fantastic! Really enjoyed your storytelling and you evoked the sights, spirits and atmosphere brilliantly. Fascinating. Many thanks and look forward to the next story.. .
Thanks Gordon; most kind.
I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Well done.
I guess Butcher Clifford only had to have his nickname for a day until it changed to "Butchered Clifford"
I can actually imagine the battle as it were. I would like to see that movie
Terrible slaughter. Thanks for making this video. I learned so much.
Very informative indeed 👍. Thank you.
very informative tour of the battlefield .
Love your channel man well done 👏 so interesting 🛡🗡⚔🛡
Most kind - thank you
Very impressive, thank you!
Very interesting, much enjoyed👍🇨🇦
Up close and personal with a knife
A hammer an axe....packed in tight ranks....pikes in row after row
Horrific injuries and the Towton snow spattered with blood.
So glad your back!
Love your content.
Wouid love a video on Naseby if possible
It's on my list, although I think Marston Moor may come first. Hoping to get back to filming more regularly now the day job is a bit calmer. Thank you for watching 👍
Very interesting insight into the battle told very well.
Excellent narrative.
This battle (and war) needs to be remembered more than it seemingly is.
This is perhaps the best abridged telling.
What truly in the end brought a formal end to the Wars of the Roses was basically the same ending (or at least an uneasy peace) that European aristocracy and countless love-stories did, - intermarriage.
I don't hear it much refered to, but for nearly all of the conflict, the real force behind the Lancastrian cause wasn't Henry (who was greatly disabled) but his wife - Margaret.
This was hardly the first or the last of civil conflict. But with more representative and localized government which was as-yet a few generations off, this clash of house's would wane.